Some nights in Austin felt like the stars themselves were lining up just right.
It was one of those magical evenings when word had gotten around that “the girl with the accordion” was playing a strong set of train songs. Billy Joe Shaver — the legendary outlaw country poet himself — walked in with a couple of friends. Someone had told him, “You gotta hear Debra Peters do ‘Train Whistle Blues.’”
I didn’t know he was there at first. I was deep in the music, squeezing out that lonesome train whistle on the accordion while Spencer Jarmon tore up the guitar behind me. The rhythm section was locked in tight, and the whole room was swaying.
After the set, Billy Joe came straight up to the stage. That gravelly voice and those kind eyes looked right at me and said, “Girl, you got it.” Then he reached into his pocket, scribbled his personal phone number on a piece of paper, and handed it to me. “Call me anytime. We need to do something together.”
I was speechless.
Later that same night, Calvin Russell was also in the room. He’d come over specifically because he’d heard about my “killer guitarist.” After the show he pulled Spencer Jarmon aside and offered him a gig touring France. Just like that — one strong night of music opened doors for both of us.
Not long after, I got to live out that promise with Billy. We played a special trio gig together — Billy Joe Shaver, Jesse Taylor on guitar, and me on accordion — at Grizzwalds Restaurant in south Austin. Outdoor stage, good food, great people, and real Texas music floating through the night air. I’ll never forget how natural it felt standing beside one of Texas’s greatest songwriters, trading verses and letting the accordion sing harmony with his stories.
That whole chapter taught me something I still carry with me:
Real music opens doors. It connects souls. One honest set, played with heart, can lead to phone numbers on scraps of paper, gigs in France, and unforgettable nights you’ll remember forever.
And every time I pick up the accordion now, I still hear that lonesome train whistle and Billy Joe’s voice saying, “Girl, you got it.”
Have you ever had a night where music opened an unexpected door for you?
Tell me about it in the comments — I love reading your stories.
If these tales make you want to learn how to play with that same fire, head over to my Lessons page. New digital chapters from my teaching DVDs are coming soon!