Ron Raines '68

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=95 BGCOLOR="#999999" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="062005f0ermwup.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Nacogdoches High Class of 1974</B></FONT><B>     </B><B>|     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Nacogdoches High Class of 1974"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>Ron Raines '68</B>   |   <A HREF="id349.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jan Dobbs Barton and Cal Barton"><U>Jan Dobbs Barton and Cal Barton</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id345.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Garry Commander Moynihan"><U>Garry 'Commander' Moynihan</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id351.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Nick Palafox"><U>Nick Palafox</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id346.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bruce Moore"><U>Bruce Moore</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id347.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mike Precella"><U>Mike Precella</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id348.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Phyllis Huddleston Jolley"><U>Phyllis Huddleston Jolley</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id352.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Frank Barber"><U>Frank Barber</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=190 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=385 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> Ron Raines '68</div> <div> <IMG SRC="80af3440.jpg" border=0 width="243" height="324" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="80b45450.jpg" border=0 width="325" height="325" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> How Far Is It From the NHS Stage to Broadway?</div> <div> Who would have thought that a lead role in the 1968 NHS production of <I>Oklahoma</I> would be the initial defining moment for Ron (Ronnie) Keith Raines’ future stage and television career? From Preston Waldrop’s choir room in the “red” building to Broadway’s Shubert Theater in New York City came the son of Rev. (Judge) and Mrs. C. A. (Bill) Raines.</div> <div> Music was always a part of his life and “has been the stepping stone to where I am,” Raines declared. He noted his parents told him he sang before he talked and always encouraged his musical development. During his many years of musical theater and operatic travels, while Raines performed and his wife, Dona Vaughn, often directed, his mom would join the family travels to help out with their young daughter, Charlotte.</div> <div> Raines reported that while music has always been the major portion of his life, acting has also found an important role in his life. For his 10 years as “Alan Spaulding”, on CBS-TV’s GUIDING LIGHT, he has been nominated for a 2003 and this year’s 2004 Emmy Award and was nominated three times for the SOAP OPERA DIGEST Award as “Outstanding Villain.”</div> <div> In Raines’ senior year at NHS, a first year teacher, Preston Waldrop, suggested the Acapella Choir perform the musical <I>Oklahoma.</I> Stated Raines, “I didn’t know that much about musicals – I’d been in church all my life.” He noted that Mr. Waldrop offered him an opportunity to perform the role of Curly in <I>Oklahoma</I> and that made a profound impression on the path he has taken. Realizing that importance, five years ago he began a search for Mr. Waldrop to personally express his gratitude and was saddened to learn that he had passed away several years prior. Raines stated that Mr. Waldrop was “a very inspiring teacher and brought a wonderful energy for the arts to Nacogdoches.”</div> <div> That energy for the arts has carried him through countless professional performances on television, lead roles on Broadway and National Tours, in the New York theatre, opera companies, concert appearances and recordings. </div> <div> One of the ways Raines has chosen to stay connected with friends from his NHS days is through the Nacogdoches High School Alumni Association. He noted that the recent NHSAA sponsored tribute to the athletic coaches from his high school years (Hale, Matthews and Harris) was an incredible tribute from the lives of those they touched. Stated Raines, “That’s giving back. I would have loved to have been there even though I was not a Dragon football player.” </div> </td> </tr></table></body>