Toni Renee looper

Renee (Cook) Looper plays piano in the Mountain Sound band and on the album recordings as well. 

  Renee started playing early in life with her family group, the Tony Cook Family. Before this, as a preschool-age child, Renee had steadily lost all hearing, she had been diagnosed as “clinically deaf.” At night she would experience horrific pain in her ears. One night before a scheduled surgery, Renee was prayed for at a church service. The next day, at age 5 years old, the surgeons decided to examine her ears one last time before proceeding with the difficult surgery on both ears. They were astonished! Renee says all she can remember is the doctors came out and told her parents they could not find any abnormalities or anything wrong with her ears, hearing, inner-ear, etc. In fact, by all indications a “complete healing had occurred”. 

  Fast forward a few years… In her family band, Renee played the BMI pedal steel guitar at age 12 and later mastered the dobro resonator guitar playing on several albums. During one recording session in Kentucky, Renee recalls playing in-studio when Mr. Hobert and Dorothy Skaggs (Ricky Skaggs’ parents) came over to visit with the family during the recording session. After a full day of recording, and somewhat worn to a frazzle, Renee said the next day, while at home the telephone rang, and it was Hobert calling her directly. Renee could have just about fallen over, right there on the floor. Her father, Tony encouraged her to take the call, Hobert said… “Little lady, I wanted to say… you are doing really good on that dobro, And you have a great talent. I just wanted to call and tell you to keep it up, and keep after it.” This really encouraged Renee, she was so shocked that Ricky Skaggs’ parents would call to encourage her. Later on, Renee began working weekly at the Renfro Valley Music Barn in Renfro Valley, KY as a band member. But her heart wasn’t content, and life turned for the worse. So for years, depressed, and at the point of giving up, Renee never picked another instrument or played another song for over 20 years. 

  It seemed all was lost. But miraculously, God knows just where we are, and what we are going through. Even if we don’t think anyone cares, He Cares For You! One day Renee began to seek the Lord, calling upon Him to enter her life again and change her circumstances, to right the wrongs, to take her and mold her into what He would have her to be. 

  After rededicating her life, she felt this scripture enter her heart… And in all things, whatsoever ye shall ask, in prayer believing, ye shall receive. – Matthew 21:22 “This is a daily scripture I call upon and have seen God move in mighty ways especially when we place our trust in Him and Him alone,” Renee said. 

  Renee and Danny married in 2009 and make their home in her home town of Waynesville, located in southwest Ohio. She is a beautiful and sweet person, but the best accolade of all is… Renee is gloriously saved, and gives all glory and praise to God for everything in her life! 

Renee and Dan have 4 children, 2 grandchildren, and one on-the-way.