Check Out Donna Frost’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Donna Frost.

Hi Donna, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I have been playing music professionally for over 50 years. I grew up in a musical family. My parents and their families sang in gospel groups. Mom and Dad were traveling and singing up to 2 weeks before I was born and they were back on the road again with me 2 weeks after I was born. So I literally grew up in the business. There was always music in the house and we were encouraged to play and sing. I started on piano when I was 9. I bought the piano with my own money. I sold Christmas cards to do it. But the guitar became my true love at age 11.

Like most kids in the 60s, the Beatles were a huge influence on me. I wanted to play guitar and write my own songs. In my teen years, artists like Joni Mitchell and Jim Croce were inspirations for me. I played my first professional show at age 13, started traveling and playing in bands when I was 16, and got into this full-time in 1993. I play over 250 dates a year every year. I have performed in 38 states, England, and the Caribbean. I have recorded and released 9 CDs of my original music since 1998. I have had many wonderful experiences through the years.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Nothing is ever easy. I went through years of trying to figure out who I am musical. I was in two rock bands that were a part of the Nashville rock scene, The BUNNIEs, and the Paper Dolls. Those were fun times. Then there were the attempts in heavy metal and country which were not always fun. Being a woman in the music business was a challenge years ago because some men label you the “girl singer” and relegate you to being their side person instead of an equal partner. I decided to go out on my own solo in the mid-90s and never looked back. I do this all myself. I am the driver, the roadie, the booking person, and the artist. It’s a lot of work but I love it. I have had to overcome some challenges physically and emotionally. In 2014 I fell in an icy parking lot as I was leaving work as a background actor on the “Nashville ” TV show. I broke a big bone in my right arm and had surgery to have a plate and 9 screws put in my arm. The doctors said I would not be able to play for 8 months. But I refused to accept the verdict. I found I could play my ukulele even with stitches and my arm in a sling. I built my shows around that and became a ukulele artist too. I was back on the road 6 weeks after my surgery. That broken arm was a blessing because I have had many good things happen with my ukulele music too. I still have pain in this arm 24/7. I never feel the pain when I am onstage playing. But I live with it.

I don’t take any medication either. Of course, the biggest obstacle I have dealt with like everyone else in this business Has was the shutdowns during Covid 19. Watching all my shows canceled, wondering what I would do because this is how I make my living. It was such a frightening time for us all. I decided I would go live on Facebook from my house every Monday night. Which I did for 62 consecutive weeks. I was able to stay connected with everyone everywhere who has supported me for so many years People were donating on my PayPal and Venmo, buying my CDs and artwork. I wrote and recorded 3 Cds of new music during these times, The Quarantine Sessions, The Quarantine Sessions Volume 2 ( just me and my 12-string guitar), and my ukulele album “Thankful “. During these 2 years so much happened. I looked at the shutdowns as a blessing because I was home with my family, especially thankful to be with my mom and dad. Those were some happy times. But on December 5 of 2020, my precious mother Barbara got Covid 19 and a week later she got worse and was hospitalized for 4 weeks.

She fought hard and overcame so many hurdles. It was so hard for us all because we couldn’t be there with her due to the Covid restrictions. We relied on FaceTime. We would gather here with all our family for those calls. We lost her on January 12, 2021. The worst day of my life and the most heartbreaking. It has been a struggle for me every day. She and I were very close and I miss her so much. She was my biggest supporter, she believed in me and was always here for me. I threw myself into my music and kept on going with my online Things, writing, and recording and when everything opened back up I went full throttle playing shows everywhere. I have been so happy to see everyone again on the road.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist and traveling troubadour. I am proud of my body of work. Most are available and there’s more to come. My catalog: “Pure and Simple “(1998) “Feels Like Home” (2001), “Girls Like Us ” (2009), “Bare Bones ” (with Billy Hancock, 2014), “Ukeabilly Mama” (2014), “The Quarantine Sessions ” (2020), “The Quarantine Sessions Volume 2” (2021), “Thankful ” (2022). My first gospel project “You Are My Song ” is being released this week. And another very special project will be available in 2023, “The Beautiful Unseen ” which I wrote and recorded with my longtime friend and collaborator Jack Howell. We came full circle with this. We had written and recorded “Feels Like Home ” in 2001. We hoped to do something again one day. A few months after Mama died, Jack came to visit and we wrote a very special song about her. We kept writing long distances on Facebook calls because Jack lives in California and I am in Tennessee.

We had an album’s worth of songs and we have been recording at Jack’s studio in Joshua Tree, California. We will be wrapping up work in early 2023. I truly feel it is my best album of all.

What sets me apart from others? I just keep it real. My songs come from my heart. For most shows, I play Solo, on my guitar, and my ukulele. No Pedals, loops, or tricks. What you see is what you get.

In my later years, I have been very dedicated to using my music for outreach programs. I have been a musician partner for Music for Seniors for the past 7 years. We bring live music to senior communities in the mid-state. I am very proud to have been the recipient of their Musician Partner of the Year Award in 2019. I am also very involved with the Humane Society of Sumner County. I adopted my dog, Eddie, there 8 years ago. When the pandemic hit, the shelter could not be open to the public. I took my Facebook live show to the shelter 2 years ago and am on from there most weeks to play music, introduce some of the dogs and cats up for adoption and raise money for the shelter. It has been a great blessing My niece and nephews do the shows with me and we have so much fun.

I also play for our friends at Room in the Inn once or twice a month. I have been a volunteer there for 5 years. They are very special to me.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I am not afraid of taking risks. Being in the music business full-time for so many years is a gamble.

Driving thousands of miles all over the country by myself to play music year-round is a bit risky especially as I get older. But I love what I do and do what I love.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.donnafrost.com
• Instagram: @donnafrost12strings
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/donnafrostsongs
• Twitter: @donnafrost12
• Youtube: Donna Frost

Image Credits
Price Harrison and Samantha Gordon