Duchess Raehn
Born and raised in Charleston, SC, Duchess Raehn has been playing the piano since early childhood, and admits that she has had a melody in her head most of her life. The oldest of five children, her parents knew early on that she had a special talent. By the age of five, Duchess could play songs that she had heard on the radio or at her church, First Baptist in Charleston. Later, she graduated in music and piano from the University of South Carolina, including classes at the Vienna International Music Center in Austria.A resident of Hilton Head Island, SC, for over 30 years, Duchess has played in a variety of locations and situations. From weddings and funerals, churches and piano bars, community plays and women’s retreats, various dignitaries and the President of the United States (and small children at Vacation Bible School), her audiences have run the gamut.This CD is a culmination of songs that Duchess has played over the course of her life. These songs span many decades, but they are all beautiful melodies that have blessed, inspired, comforted, and encouraged as the years go by. “I want to dedicate this CD to my parents. My mom, Margaret Howell, who took us to every musical, drove me to every piano lesson, and let me play the piano for her while she cooked supper! My dad, Jim Howell, who sang so many of these songs to me over the years and made us listen to “his” music while he drove us to school! They loved me and encouraged me to use my music to bless others, and I hope I have done that.”