When something goes Wright

• Former Pincher Creek resident gets a special phone call

Toni Lucas, Pincher Creek Voice

Tina Rittinger Peta and Michelle Wright

Claresholm resident Tina Rittinger Peta was awoken from a nap today, Sunday, September 4, by the sound of her telephone ringing.  A day ago she laid to rest her beloved husband, Roger Peta, who passed away unexpectdly last week, and she had forgotten that today had been arranged as the day she could expect a call from Canadian singer/songwriter Michelle Wright. Tina won the grand prize offered by Wright's Facebook 30/30/30 competition, a personal phone call, that ended up being one hour and eight minutes long.

Michelle Wright
Tina Rittinger Peta photo

To celebrate that 30,000 people "liked" Wright on Facebook, items bought through Wright's website, "The Wright Store" at www.michelle-wright.com, were 30% off.  Anyone who bought something through the website was entered into a daily draw for an autographed pre-release version of Michelle's upcoming CD, "The Wright Songs: An Acoustic Evening with Michelle Wright".   The grand prize draw was made on July 30.  Peta had bought a new t-shirt from the website, making it a really lucky t-shirt.


"It was a very personable call," Tina said.  "We are both dog owners and we talked about our dogs (Wright owns three dogs), music and other artists.  I called her 'the Anne Murray of the new century'.  We talked about the Rankin Family and Ian Tyson. Michelle is doing the Canadian Country Music Awards on September 12th, so she talked about the awards, and the speech she was working on."  Tina thought Wright was very down to earth.  When Tina told Wright that she works with people with developmental disabilities through Independent Counselling Services, Wright revealed that she was training to go into that same field when her music career took off.  "Michelle is a real country girl," Tina continued.  "She told me about some of the renovations that are happening at her house.  One is they are putting in a new driveway.  Michelle stepped up, took over the bobcat, and did most of it herself."

Roger Peta and Michelle Wright

The two talked about Roger, Tina's late husband, and other things "of a personal nature. We have talked a number of times before, at autograph signings, but this was so much more personal.  Roger was so excited that I had won the contest.  I wish he was here to answer the phone."

Tina has been to 6 of Wright's concerts since 1992. "She is one of my favorite artists,"  she explained.  Tina and Roger were music buffs that attended many concerts together, and enjoyed collecting autographs.  From Wright, they have nine photos, 3 cd's, a sweat shirt, 2 books, and a totebag, all autographed.

Tina has plans to go see Michelle Wright when she performs at the Empress Theatre in Fort MacLeod, on December 6 and 7, 2011.  "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Tina Rittinger Peta was raised in the Pincher Creek area.

Michelle Wright 
Tina Rittinger Peta photo

Michelle Wright's first record, the recently re-released "Do Right By Me", was released 22 years ago, kickstarting a hit-filled international career and selling well over 40,000 copies in Canada. She has sold over 2 million albums in North America, and was the first modern Canadian countyr artist to crack the U.S. top-ten with her 1992 hit "Take it like a man". She is this year’s Artist Inductee into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.

For more information about Michelle Wright's 2011 tour, or to check out some of her fab merchandise, visit
www.michelle-wright.com