In December 1949 KWKH radio listeners were asked for suggestions for the stage name for a new local radio and Louisiana Hayride personality dubbed "The Mystery Singer." Responses reportedly came in at the rate of over 500 per day, with Ted Rains ultimately being the selection. A performer on the radio as a preteen, over the years he hosted his own show in multiple markets; appeared on other major country music programs including the Grand Ole Opry, and Ozark Jubilee; and recorded for a major record label before eventually settling down later in life in Montana.
Born Clyde Theodore Faith on 31-Oct-1923 to John Thomas and Nannie Clyde Dunlap Faith, he and family lived in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. That area was also home to several notable musicians - Ike Everly (father of Don and Phil), Mose Rager, and Merle Travis. Another native, actor James Best, known mostly for his role as Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane on the television series "The Dukes of Hazard," was Ike Everly's nephew and once played fictional guitarist Jim Lindsay on "The Andy Griffith Show." It is not known however if Ted knew any of these individuals and/or was influenced by them. (An aside: Muhlenberg County is mentioned in singer/songwriter John Prine's song "Paradise," the subject of which is the strip mining of coal that occurs there.)
Per the 1930 U. S. Census, six year-old "Clyde" lived with his parents and siblings Nana (14), J.T. (9), and Charles (1 year, 2 months). By 1940, he and his father lived together, his mother having died in 1933. In 1930, John's job was listed as "coal miner," however by 1940 he was a "cement finisher" on a WPA project. Then sixteen year-old "Theodore" was identified as a "new worker."
Ted was said to have been singing before he was talking, and performed with his band on the radio in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. before he was 13. The earliest mention found of him in the newspapers was in 1947, and placed him in Missouri. There on different occasions he performed, either billed himself as "the Colorado Singing Cowboy," or as "Ted Faith And His Colorado Cowboys." An announcement for an August performance in Sikeston, Missouri noted he and the Cowboys were of KLCN in Blytheville, Arkansas.
In January 1948 Ted married Birdie L. Carroll in El Dorado, Arkansas. Later that year he was with a group named The Gay Rancher'os, below advertised to be performing in Evansville, Indiana.
Evansville (IN) Courier 18-Sep-1948, Page 11
The following year he continued to perform, now with "The Ozark Ramblers," as well as host a radio program in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Arkansas (Little Rock) Democrat 13-Jan-1949, Page 18
Arkansas Gazette 14-Apr-1949, Page 24
Arkansas Gazette 24-Apr-1949, Page 32A
In December 1949, KWKH radio asked its listeners to come up with a new name for a person dubbed the "Mystery Singer" who would perform using that moniker at the next show.
Shreveport Times 18-Dec-1949, Page B-7
The outcome seems anticlimactic, as the end result was simply Ted Faith became Ted Rains. No formal announcement was apparently published (though presumably announced at the show), and no "winner" named among those making suggestions. It is also not clear why Ted needed to change his name in the first place. Perhaps this began as a promotional gimmick that did not go as planned. However thereafter, he was billed as "Ted Rains, The Mystery Singer." Note Ted had no apparent relationship to Thomas "Hoot" Rains, who played steel guitar on the Hayride around the same time.
In 1950, Ted had a 15-minute program on KWKH, as did other Hayride performers Red Sovine, Johnny and Jack, and Harmie Smith.
Times 04-Feb-1950, Page 7
While in Shreveport he made several appearances at Club 80, a night club on the Greenwood Road.
Times 01-Mar-1950, Page 31
Below, Club 80 is pictured in a 1949 advertisement for its grand opening.
Another Club 80 appearance.
Times 16-Mar-1950, Page 19
He left Shreveport for a time, as in 1951 he was noted playing several dates in Indiana and Ohio with Bob Mason And His Swing-Billies."
Richmond (IN) Palladium-Item 13-Jun-1951, Page 7
At some point he returned and appeared with several other Hayride performers in January 1954 at a March Of Dimes benefit held at the Skyway Club in neighboring Bossier City.
Times 20-Jan-1954, Page 10-A
Times 24-Jan-1954, Page 10-C
Later that year, Ted moved on to El Paso, Texas where he briefly reverted to his real last name when performing.
El Paso Times 25-Sep-1954, Page 10
El Paso Times 11-Oct-1954, Page 14
He did however switch back to "Ted Rains," under which in February 1955, Decca Records released the first of two records - the single "If You Stop Loving Me," along with flip side, "There's Nothing I Won't Do." Currently the the latter is his only recording on Youtube.
A second disk was released on Decca in May of that year containing "Free Of The Blues" and "All Of Your Love."
Billed as a Decca artist appearing with actor and singer Rex Allen in El Paso.
El Paso Times 04-Jun-1955, Page 7
He was once listed among several prominent country stars appearing on a nationally syndicated radio program.
The Billboard (magazine) 16-Jul-1955, Page 44
Below, another show - this time with Sheb Wooley, who went on to play scout Pete on TV's Rawhide, and have a hit with the novelty song "Purple People Eater."
El Paso Post-Herald 30-Sep-1955, Page 40
Ted's obituary states he had performed on the Grand Ole Opry. While no direct evidence (such as a listing on an advertisement, news article, etc.) of an appearance has been found, there are a couple of circumstantial factors to provide support to this claim. It was published in a national trade magazine that Webb Pierce hosted Ted in Nashville while he was in the city recording for Decca.
The Cash Box 20-Nov-1955, Page 44
At the time Pierce was arguably the biggest star in country music and, if backing Ted, would certainly have the connections to get him booked on a show. Also, a now closed eBay auction of miscellaneous Opry pictures from that era listed among those included, several familiar show veterans, as well as Ted.
Below, an advertisement that contains a different picture of Ted.
Jefferson City (MO) Post-Tribune 29-Jun-1956, Page 4
Appearing in Lebanon, Pennsylvania with stars of the Ozark Jubilee, including Sonny James, who had also appeared on the Hayride,
Lebanon (PA) Daily News 20-Jul-1956, Page 17
In December 1956, he was reported to be touring Florida on a bill headlined by Porter Wagoner. 1958 had him back out in the west Texas town of El Paso; where nighttime found him, not at Rosa's Cantina, but at the Red Barn.
El Paso Times 17-May-1958, Page 6
By 1959, Ted was living in Billings, Montana, where it was noted he sang in a quartet at a lady's funeral. He and Birdie divorced in February 1960, and per his obituary later that year he married Laura Medley; who he had met in Springfield, Missouri while a member of the Ozark Jubilee.
El Paso Times 17-May-1958, Page 6
By 1959, Ted was living in Billings, Montana, where it was noted he sang in a quartet at a lady's funeral. He and Birdie divorced in February 1960, and per his obituary later that year he married Laura Medley; who he had met in Springfield, Missouri while a member of the Ozark Jubilee.
In 1968 he released another record, this time on the Jack O' Diamonds label.
The Cash Box 31-Aug-1968, Page 63
Over subsequent years, Ted continued to perform alone and with various groups in the Billings area. Examples follow:
Billings (MT) Gazette 07-May-1967, Page 31
Billings Gazette 18-Sep-1977, Page 7C
Billings Gazette 15-Jul-1978, Page 1978, Page 8A
In May 1989, Ted was on the bill to appear on radio station KEMC's "High Plains Rendezvous" show that featured regional talent.
Billings Gazette) 19-May-1989, Page 5-E
Ted passed away on 14-Aug-2005 in Billings. Though never a major star, he certainly left a legacy and body of work worth remembering.
Billings (MT) Gazette 18-Aug-2005, Page 9B
John, You do great research. Ted had an interesting career. Obviously very mobile and willing to move where ever he could find work. Most musicians, as you well know, a nomads. Frank
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