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Donna Frost



Last Updated: 12/31/2009

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Status: Single
City: HENDERSONVILLE
State: Tennessee
Country: US
Signup Date: 4/29/2006

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Wednesday, December 30, 2009 

Current mood:  thoughtful
These past days have been full of memories for me as we've been preparing for our show tonight at Douglas Corner to celebrate the music of my dear friend Skeeter Davis, who passed away in September of 2004.  Today would have been her 77th birthday and I decided to gather up my BUNNIEs bandmates and a couple other of our musician friends and play a show tonight solely consisting of her music through the years.  Skeeter was and is a very important part of my life...from the time I was 4 years old when she and my aunt Mary were friends all the way til Skeeter passed away.  And I had the pleasure of singing with her from 1996 til close to time of her death when she wasn't able to perform anymore.  We traveled to the Caribbean several times to perform, plus some cities here in US..and of course I was with her on the Opry a bit too during those times.  Most of you know this already, but I repeat myself for those who are new to my page and to Skeeter's page.  Rehearsing these songs with Tony, Jeff and Turina brought back memories of when I first started performing with her..which was around this time of year.  We were in St. Lucia in December of 1996...there was a party thrown in her honor in St. Lucia that December 30, we were taken out for a festive New Year's Eve on the island the following day and played on New Year's night.  We made a trek to Barbados during New Year's the next time.  Some very special times of my life.  Since her passing, I have played some Skeeter tribute shows over the years and thought it was time to do this again in Nashville.  I am hoping to make this an annual event on her birthday and that it will grow with each year!

I have worked to keep Skeeter's music alive and will continue to do so as long as I can.  It is my dream to see her inducted in the Country Music Hall of Fame AND Rock and Roll Hall of Fame where she belongs!   

Hope to see our Nashville friends tonight and if you'd like us to bring the Skeeter show to your town, in 2010, let me know!

Love to all & Happy New Year!
Donna





Currently listening:
The Essential Skeeter Davis
By Skeeter Davis
Release date: 1995-03-28
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 

Current mood:  rockin
Last year I posted this blog when Bruce Springsteen was coming to town.  Since then, I have recorded the song I was referring to in the blog, naturally...and it appears on the Girls Like Us CD.. "Dancing with Bruce"...I have moved it up to the first song you hear on my profile for a few days so you can hear it...just in case you haven't already!  I'm proud of this song, what it meant to me then, what it means to me now...what it means to people in various cities that I have performed this song in. or to those who bought my CD and chose this song as one of their favorites...there is a moral victory in this song...the girl who thought she was nothing felt like something because of this special moment.  I will be at Bruce's show tonight.  I won't be in the front row, I won't have the dance tonight...but I'll be there,enjoying the music of a man who has touched my life and inspired me for so many years and especially as a songwriter.  I read something Bruce said in the liner notes for the Born To Run anniversary edition...that his songwriting caused him to face the questions that surfaced from what he'd written and to search for the answers to those questions as best he could...I have been writing a lot of new songs in recent months and find myself facing the questions these songs have brought out of me and searching for the answers...and I hope to find them.

here's the blog!  Enjoy!  I can't wait til tonight!

Love to all,
Donna


Current mood:  excited
Tonight's the night...I'm going to see one of my very favorite artists ever, Bruce Springsteen.  I've been immersed in listening to Bruce CD's even more than usual.  Every time I go on a roadtrip, there are always SEVERAL Bruce CD's in my CD stash.   I love all of his albums, but "Born To Run", "The Rising", "Tunnel of Love" and "18 Tracks" are my favorites and have special meaning to me.  "Born to Run" was an oasis in a musical desert to me as a teenager when it was released and it still sounds fresh and exciting to me today.  "The Rising" was the best album written/recorded regarding the tragedy of 9/11.  I still can't believe it didn't win the Grammy for album of the year that year.  
I've been fortunate enough to see The Boss in concert several times through the years (including a show at the Opry House when he was on the Born to Run tour).  But there is one Bruce show that will hold an extra special place in my heart...you see, I got to dance with Bruce WAY before Courtney Cox did in the "Dancing in the Dark" video. 
1981...The River tour...Bruce was coming to town and a friend of ours, Bruce Jackson (who worked sound for The Boss) called with 4 free tickets & some backstage passes for me, two of which were in the front row!  So my brothers, Andy & Tony, and Jack McCollum, a friend of ours, went to the show.  Naturally I sat in the front row and Jack joined me.  Tony & Andy opted for the seats a few rows back.   I was dancing to the music, lost in the moment of watching Bruce perform, when all of a sudden he looks right at me and reaches out his hand to me to join him on stage.  I said "Me???", he smiled and said yes, and suddenly there I was onstage with Bruce dancing to "Sherry Darling" (I'll NEVER forget the song that was playing, are you crazy??).  It was all like a beautiful dream.   Then, he leaned me back and gave me a kiss.  Well, of course, I thought I was going to die!  And, still in disbelief over what had just happened, I went back to my seat, and was floating on air for the rest of the evening and for many days afterwards!  I asked my friend Bruce if he asked Bruce to pick me and he said, no, that Bruce chose me to dance with him on his own.    When the Dancing with the Dark video came out, it brought back so many memories of that night to me.
I have shared this story with audiences at my shows sometimes, and over the weekend I wrote a song called "Dancing with Bruce" which I will record a demo of soon & post here on the page.  I wish I could have had it ready by today.   That dance that night was a light to me during some dark times in my life....my uncle Felton had died way too young a couple of months earlier, I was going through a breakup with someone, was going through misery at a job I hated, etc..and to have that moment with Bruce meant so much to me.."and for that moment, I could escape the truth, nothing else mattered when I was dancing with Bruce" (that's one of the lines from the new song).
I won't be on the front row tonight, but I'll be there, and I'll be enjoying every single minute of seeing Bruce and the E Street Band rock Sommet Center! 
And Bruce, a big thank you from a longtime fan for the wonderful music you've given us over the years, and for giving a sad girl a reason to smile when she needed it most that night in 1981. 
Love to all!
Donna

Currently listening:
Born to Run
By Bruce Springsteen
Release date: 1990-10-25
Wednesday, October 21, 2009 

Current mood:  rockin
Recent interview with Festively Local...wanted to share!

Singer-Songwriter with a Punk Rocker’s Background

By Sasha Savinov for Festively Local
Singer, songwriter, actress, writer – these are just a few of the many hats that Donna Frost wears on any given day. A native Nashvilleian, Donna has been playing, writing, and recording music almost her entire life. From her days with the punk-rock outfit, the BUNNIEs, to her role as Janis Joplin in the musical “Kozmic Blue“, to her latest solo album, “Girls Like Us“, she has been wowing audiences all over the world for years. A recipient of multiple ASCAPlus awards for her work as a singer/songwriter, Donna will be performing for the Festively Local crowd on Friday, October 16th at 5 p.m.
Donna Frost

Donna Frost

What about Festively Local attracted you to play at this event?
Steve Trinward and I have been friends for several years, and I played some of his shows. When I found out he was involved and what this event was going to be like, I signed on immediately.  I think it’s a wonderful thing and am happy to be part of this year’s festival.

When did you first start playing music, and what was your first instrument?
I first started playing at age 9, on piano… picked up a guitar at age 11 and it was all over with from that point on. Guitar is my main instrument now, of course.  I still play piano sometimes, and bass.

How is your solo show different from your work with your band, the BUNNIEs?
My solo work is more singer/songwriter/storyteller music, but more of my rock and roll side has been mixing in with it, as you can see on my new CD, “Girls Like Us“.  I’m quite proud of this new CD.  I feel I’ve grown as a writer since my first release in 1998.  I love playing the acoustic shows because people are there to hear the songs and it’s much more intimate for the artist with the audience.  The BUNNIEs are pure rock. We play some originals as well as some of the 80’s covers from the day that we used to play, plus a few other cool things.  Jeff Allen, our guitarist in the BUNNIEs plays lead guitar on my new CD, the BUNNIEs back me when I play my solo music in Nashville when schedules permit, so that opens up a whole other new avenue for us as a band, too.  I love The BUNNIEs shows because my true rocker girl comes out in full force!  It’s a joy to play with them.  We do bring a lot of energy to the stage!
I see that you have many side projects going on. How do you balance your life as a musician, actress, and a writer?
I sure do have a lot of side projects going on and more added on as we go along, so it seems.  How do I balance my life?  Good question!  I’m still trying to figure it out!

Speaking of your side projects, I know that you played Janis Joplin for a few years in the musical, “Kozmic Blue.” Was Janis a big influence on you growing up? How did you prepare for that role, playing one of the most famous artists of the 60’s?

Playing Janis was one of the coolest things I have ever done in all the years I’ve been entertaining.  She was a huge influence.  I grew up on her music. I had never heard a woman sing like that and she totally blew me away.  I have all her albums, have many books written about her.  It was a dream of mine to play her and when the opportunity arose, I went for it.  We performed the show three consecutive summers in Nashville.  How did I prepare?  I immersed myself in my Janis books, Janis records. I know everything about her, trust me…. when it was showtime, I wasn’t Donna anymore… I became Janis. The sweetest thing about that show was the cross section of fans we drew – older fans who came to see Janis back in the day, fans who were too young to see her then, and the younger generation of fans who have just discovered her.  Very touching.  I miss playing her, and would love to do it again.
To learn more about Donna Frost, check out her website, at www.donnafrost.com.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009 

Current mood:  happy
I am very happy to be a part of the Donate Your Ponytail NYC campaign which is going on right now.  Friends in New York City can go to participating hair salons between now and the end of October and donate hair to provide wigs for cancer patients.  There is also a compilation disc available online...you can purchase as many tracks as you wish, of course.  My song "Girls Like Us" appears on the CD.  All proceeds go to the Donate Your Ponytail campaign.  Go to www.amiestreet.com/donateyourponytailnyc and check it out! If you want to know more about the campaign itself, please visit www.ifnothingeverchanged.com

It's quite fitting since October is breast cancer awareness month! I hope you will visit these links and participate somehow! 

Love to all,
Donna
Monday, August 31, 2009 

Current mood:  working
As many of you know, I've been involved as a writer/producer for a wonderful organization called Songs of Love for the past 5 years.  We write and record songs for children with life threatening illnesses.  Donations are WAY down this year and I am reposting a letter from our leader and founder, Jonathan Beltzer.  There is a fabulous and easy way YOU can help us with one simple text message.  Read on and spread the word.

Love to all,
Donna

Dear Songs of Love Family and Music Messengers,

Songs of Love is in dire need of funding to maintain our outreach this year of helping 3000 children. I believe that if everyone takes action on this email list collectively we can offset the 40% reduction in donations this year. 


Here's what you can do right away using your cell phone!

Text the word "SONG" to 52000 on your cell phone
and $5 will be charged to your cell phone bill 
and be donated to Songs of Love.

After you text "SONG" to 52000 you will receive a message asking if you would like to donate the $5. You MUST reply with a "YES" in order to process the donation.

Songs of Love has partnered with the Mobile Giving Foundation to allow supporters an easy way to help our cause.

PLEASE GET EVERYONE ON YOUR EMAIL LIST TO DO THE SAME. WE TRULY APPRECIATE ANY HELP YOU CAN PROVIDE.

A one-time donation of $5 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance.
Standard messaging rates and additional fees may apply. All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider.
Service is available on most carriers. Donations are collected for the benefit of Songs of Love
by the Mobile Giving Foundation and subject to the terms found at www.hmgf.org/t
You can unsubscribe at any time by texting STOP to short code 52000; HELP to 52000 for help. 


Thanks again for all your support! Please type "remove" in the subject line if you wish to be removed from our email list.


A Big Hug,


John Beltzer
President & Founder
Songs of Love Foundation
P.O. Box 750809
Forest Hills, NY 11375
Cell: 917-750-8222
Work: 718-441-5422


Tuesday, August 18, 2009 

Current mood:  busy
Those of you who know me or about me at all know my very close Skeeter Davis connection.  If you just joined in here of late, a brief overview...Skeeter was my idol as a child and I was friends with her from the time I was 4 til she passed away...I told her that someday I would sing with her when I grew up.  Which I did.  She called me in 1996 to come sing harmonies with her and I traveled with her to Barbados, St. Lucia, various cities in US to perform as well as joining her on the Grand Ole Opry sometimes...it was one of the most wonderful periods of my life and proof that dreams DO come true.

I have felt that Skeeter should have been inducted in the Country Music Hall of Fame as well as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame long ago for her groundbreaking work...and you can read more about it all at www.myspace.com/skeeterdavismusic.  My brother Andy and I set up and maintain this page to keep her music and memory alive.  I am happy to say there is a petition going around now to get Skeeter inducted in the Country Music Hall of Fame!  I'm posting the link here, and I encourage you to sign it and pass it along.  It's high time Skeeter be given a place of honor in the hall.  Here's hoping our efforts will make it happen! 
 


Love to all,
Donna
Thursday, July 02, 2009 

Current mood:  accomplished

 

Donna Frost-Girls Like Us
Spat! Records www.spatrecords.net

Donna Frost just might be the hardest working woman in Nashville's music scene.  She stays busy year 'round touring the world.  She does the radio and internet chart work and booking all herself.  Raised in the Nashville area in a musical family, it's in her blood.  Her grandparents were gospel singers and her father and uncles make up the Frost Brothers Quartet.  Uncle Felton Jarvis produced Elvis Presley.  Donna recalls jams at Felton's house with James Burton and Carl Perkins.  From all this, she's developed her own style of Pop/Country/Rock.  She's received ASCAPlus awards for performing singer/songwriter in 2005, 2006, 2007 & 2008.  Donna contributed a story to "Tales from the Rock and Roll Highway" by Marley Brant (Billboard Books).  She's in "The Other Side of Nashville", a documentary about rock and roll in Music City.  Frost is also a member of the BUNNIEs with her brother Tony, a popular rock band in Twangtown.  Her songs display a rocker's attitude vocally and especially lyrically even though the songs are smooth, not ragged and punky.  "Jacksonville" is getting the most attention, reaching high into the HotDisc Independent Top 20.  "Payin' to Play" speaks of the situation for Nashville up-and-comers in local nightclubs.  The song rocks ala Bonnie Raitt.  The musicians on this record are all strong.  This album was well put together by a seasoned pro.  Enjoy the road, Donna.             

-Jess Marich
Thursday, June 18, 2009 

Current mood:  melancholy
A lot of you know that my sweet little cat, Salem, passed away early this morning after being ill for sometime.  I have had his picture on my profile this week.  It's been such a sad time for me and the first thing I want to say is thank you to EVERYONE who has called, emailed, posted messages for us on Facebook, I am overwhelmed and touched deeply.  I wanted to share my story of this very special cat, who was a miracle indeed...

10 years ago this very week I had lost my black cat named Sylvester, who was a very special cat that I was mommy to for 16 lovely years.  In October of 2002, I was coming home from playing a gig and saw a black cat in the yard next to mine...it looked so much like Sylvester I did a double take.  I knew it wasn't Sylvester, but he sure looked like him.  Several nights in a row I would see this same kitty.  I tried to approach him, but he'd run off across the street.  Soooooooo, I started bringing food and milk with me and leave it where he was hanging out.  One day my nephew Jett and I led this little kitty all the way to the house with the food and milk and here he stayed for the next 7 years.  He was so small, I thought he was a kitten.  I took him to my vet and he said "Donna, this old cat's been around the block a few times.  He's at least 5, maybe even 7 years old".  We had all the tests run and Dr. High says "Well, you have a choice.  This cat is feline leukemia positive and probably won't live over 2 years.  You can put him down now or take him home and see what happens".  Those of you who know me best know that I would and did opt for choice 2...I said, "I'm taking a chance on this little cat and see how long he makes it!"  We named him Salem after the cool black cat on "Sabrina the Teenage Witch".  And Salem became a great source of inspiration to me.  That cat had such a strong will to live.  He had illnesses through the years due to his weak immune system (he never did go into full blown feline leukemia by the way)..he was not given a chance to live on more than one occasion and he would rally and come back stronger than ever.  He was the coolest kitty.  I loved those little head butts he'd give me under my chin when I was holding him.  He and BJ had many good times together...sometimes they'd fight, but then when they didn't think I was looking, they'd be lying side by side together...and they did love each other, no doubt.  Salem would go on walks with me and BJ, and what a sight that was...me, my dog and cat all out walking together...my next door neighbor would marvel at Salem walking with us every step of the way.  My niece and nephews all loved Salem and he would let them wag him around everywhere, he never minded.  He loved it. 

Salem had become ill during Christmas this past year and we defeated the grim reaper once more..he had been doing well the past 6 months with medication.  For the past year, he had a tumor, which could not be operated on because of his weak system, but he'd been hanging in there.  He went down again in recent days and on Monday my vet said he was in kidney failure.  We began treatments to try to bring him back once more but he took a turn for the worse late yesterday afternoon.  I was told I could a) get a blood transfusion which probably would not do any good at all, b) put him to sleep, c) take him home and let him die on his own...which I of course, opted for #3.  Our sweet friend and BUNNIEgirl Turina came to be with us through it all and I never would have made it without her.  We held Salem all night  and made a last ditch effort to the emergency clinic to see if we could pull him out of this, but it was not to be.  We went home and took him outside to see all his favorite trees and places, and ended up in the gazebo where he loved to hang out...and that is where he took his last breath with Turina, me and BJ with him.    He is now in a beautiful spot out back here with trees and flowers all around that I can see from my sunroom window.  Tonight I am dealing with the fact he is no longer here, looking for him everywhere...and he spent a lot of time in my lap when I'd be on my computer...so it's very strange not having him here now as I type this.  I am thankful that he didn't suffer at the end, that he went peacefully with us.  He was a true blessing in my life, every day we had together was a gift and he will live in my heart forever.  I learned a lot from that sweet cat, he overcame so much in his life and inspired me with every battle he won.  I grieve tonight, but I bask in the sweet memories of the past 7 years I shared with Salem. 

Again, my thanks to all of you who have shown concern and love for us this week.  It has truly touched my heart. 

Love to all,
Donna
Currently listening:
Dreamland
By Joni Mitchell
Release date: 2004-09-14
Friday, June 12, 2009 

Current mood:  rockin
Latest review for "Girls Like Us", courtesy of Lucky Boyd with My Texas Music!!!  Read on, I'm psyched!  And you can now purchase the CD on My Texas Music too!

Love to all,
Donna

 
Donna Frost
GIRLS LIKE US
©2009 Spat Records
Review by Lucky Boyd
 
Sometimes songwriters are so busy writing a lyric that they forget to wrap it in a good tune.  Not so with Donna Frost.  Each lyrically sound cut is enveloped in a well-acted scene of musical imagery.  A folky edge with a bluesy overtone and a country passion, this diverse disc is a musical résumé for this talented Texan.  Frost approaches the disc in a straight forward manner, performing each track to the fullest.  The best track is “Jacksonville” which is already garnering some regional support.  The best written track is “Anywhere Tonight” which has a good formula progression, nice movement, and is lyrically poignant.  But, this reviewer’s favorite is “Payin’ To Play,” a Bonnie Raitt –meets- Janis Ian blues rocker that chronicles a dark painful side of being in this business.  The album is put together well and has some great pickers, but the bet is that Donna Frost is a great live act.  If she can harness the energy from this album and blast it from stage, you’re going to hear big things from her for a long time.  This disc spent an extra hour in my player, and that’s rare.  Donna mentions in her liner notes that putting this album together was one of the great experiences of her life.  It shows, but let’s remind Donna that an even better experience is releasing your fourth or fifth album while on tour somewhere in Texas, being sought out for sold out appearances night after night, all brought on by the strength of a great first album and a great single; and knowing that tonight’s show will be with the same band you’ve had for nine years, and that crowds love you, and you have sort of a manic peace. Yeah, that’s pretty good, too. 
 
Stats: 13 tracks, four written by Frost, 9 co-writes with Beth Travers; produced by Frost with Travers and Dave Signs; additional production by Ellis Clark; appearances by Jeff Allen, Gary Brotherman, John Heinrich, Fred Satterfield, Ellis Clark, Mark Harrison, along with Frost, Travers, and Signs; 4/2/4 insert with liner notes; 1 color screen disc, replicated; running time: approx 53 minutes.
 
www.mytexasmusic.com/donnafrost
Friday, June 05, 2009 

Current mood:  blessed
I'm flying high tonight!  Well, I've been flying high for awhile, especially after the wonderful 2 week tour I just completed in Chicago and various cities in Ohio, and a blog is coming soon about all that.  But I just received an email from Stuart Cameron.  Stuart is in charge of Hotdisc which is the leading promotional company for country music in Europe..."Jacksonville" was just released on the latest Hotdisc compilation disc to stations all over Europe and has debuted at #23 on the Hotdisc Top 40 and #20 on Hotdisc Independent Top 20.  This is the first release I've had overseas in several years.  It's so good to know they haven't forgotten about me over there.  I feel very blessed and I can't wait to see what happens next!  Here's hoping it goes all the way.  But regardless, if this is as high as it charted, I'm a happy girl!

Love to all,
Donna