Donna Frost - Gospel Music, Skeeter Davis, & Growing In Faith
You're listening to The Cumberland Road, and I'm your host, TJ Malinoski. The following is a faith conversation with Donna Frost, a singer songwriter who has been an active performer for 50 years. She has released many albums and continues to write and perform, weaving gospel, folk, blues, and pop, earning the Mississippi Music Foundation Award for best Americana artist in 2023. Donna is also a Christian, raised in the Franklin Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Tennessee and reared in the gospel scene of the Frost family. Donna's faith comes through her music and her life. She was willing to sit down with me via Zoom and tell her story. Story of love, music, loss, and remaining grounded in humility. Here is my faith conversation with Donna Frost.
T. J.:Donna, you come from a long family line of artists and singers, songwriters, and musicians. Do you remember the first time you fell in love with music?
Donna:Sure. I was a little girl. I think it was always in me because, as you mentioned, my family, a long line of singers. And my mom and dad were singing in a gospel group when they got married and when my mother was pregnant with me. And 2 week I was she was singing 2 weeks before I was born.
Donna:And 2 weeks after I was born, we went to Detroit, Michigan for them to perform some first road trip. And there was always music in my house, you know. So there was always, like, I went to all the singings with my my parents, and I just always loved it. In fact, I'd toddle up on the stage when I was a little bitty kid saying, Jesus loves me. So I would say and, of course, you know, we were in church on Sundays and my grandma was saying too and and, you know, just hearing all my family and there was always music in the house.
Donna:So it was just from from a as soon as just early so I can remember anything at all, it was there. It was in my heart and in my soul from from from the time I could read and process what was going on, you know. So I
T. J.:know every household is different. But in the house that you grew up in, the music was music being created in the house as people are walking around? Are are new lyrics being tried? New rhythm pieces? Or is it music from the radio that's playing in the background?
T. J.:Is it all the above? What did that look like growing up?
Donna:On the other hand, there was always in our house, you know, of course, they were mom and dad were singing and, now they weren't writing back then. They were singing the the convention songs and stuff. And and, so but at the house, they'd sing around the house, you know, and, we had the radio going all the time, record player. We had a big stereo, you know, one of those big consoles
T. J.:Yeah.
Donna:That they had back in the old days with the record player and the radio. And it was a piece of furniture and it was really cool and we had that. So I always listen to records. Always. There were albums and, there were gospel albums.
Donna:There were, you know, rock albums. There were country albums. There was every we were listening to everything. My parents, you know, they, we we listened to everything and then my brothers came along after me and and it was there was always music in the house. We were always encouraged if we wanted to go that path, if we wanted to be into music.
Donna:We had my parents full, complete blessing, but we weren't forced to do it. Nobody was forced to take music lessons. I wanted to. You know, it's like, I I I remember and if I may share with you
T. J.:Sure.
Donna:Now the first time an instrument came into our house, I was 9 years old. And, I wanted my aunt Mary had, she was a piano player with my mom and dad. And then after the Bros Brothers went all my all my my aunt worked at RCA for Ted Atkins. And then she married Felton Jarvis, who was Elvis' producer. But aunt Mary played piano at the Franklin Church where we went, and I wanted to play piano first.
Donna:And, but we couldn't afford mom and dad were, but we a piano was kind of a big expense.
T. J.:Mhmm.
Donna:So there were these ads on the back of of comic books about sell Christmas cards, make money. Well, Donna got Christmas cards. Mom and dad took them to their jobs. Aunt Mary took the RCA and sold to Cat Akron and bought some of them. And I I took them to around the neighborhood.
Donna:I went to Kurt's piano with money I made myself with the help of my family, with my money, $75 upright piano.
T. J.:Wow. And
Donna:I it's at 9, I had a piano in the house, but then I was like, you know, after the Beatles and all this stuff and the guitar guitar guitar is calling me. So at 11, I got a guitar, and the piano went by the way. So I'd end up giving it away to some a friend of ours, but so I had a guitar. So then and then my my kid brother, he picked up the drums. I mean, we had music going in our house, and then by the time we were teenagers, we had bands.
Donna:So my mom and dad's house was the rehearsal hall, and sad has been all these years. You know, the the basement, my my parents are very gracious. They've had every kind of music in the world in the basement they did. And, so there was always music in the house. And then later in later years, my dad was writing songs for his groups and for himself.
Donna:I began writing when I was a teenager. So there's always been music created, performed there. It's listened to this house. It's full of music. If you don't like music, don't come over because, you know, it's like but it's what we're all about.
Donna:It's our life. You know? It was just always there. Always there, you know, and always encouraged.
T. J.:Do you still have your early writings as a teenager? Go back and look at them.
Donna:Oh, somewhere. I have I have books of I have I have kept all of my books that I have written in through the years.
T. J.:Mhmm. I
Donna:have them. I have every single I mean, like, all my notebooks, and I've written over 300 songs, since I've been writing. And, of course, what I wrote when I was young wasn't very good, and I'd never break those out again. But but, I I've I've held on to all of them. Why?
Donna:I don't know. I mean, I just I just can't throw them out. It's like, well, this is my work. You know? And I have them on my computer.
T. J.:There may be a gym lying in wait in a box somewhere, Something that was just so simple and yet powerful that might stimulate, you know, a completion of a song.
Donna:Good thing.
T. J.:Yeah. That you wrote, you know, many years ago. That would be kind of cool if you went back and you found something in there. You You just never know. You never know where Donna was
Donna:back then. No. Well, here's here's one for you. The other day, back in 1990 8, there was a you you don't know what's gonna pop up on YouTube. This is crazy.
Donna:The other day, I got a notification from YouTube that said, Donna Frost, a video just posted of you performing at the 12 bar club in London. Okay. From 2,000. Well, I had performed a I did a little tour over in London back in December 2000. And I performed, and I didn't know this video existed.
Donna:I'd never seen it until 3 weeks ago. And it I was going through something really bad, which we'll get to. And I was really feeling down. It just it just my heart was broken. I lost my dog, and, he passed away.
Donna:And and just at this time, here comes this little YouTube thing that pops up. And I'm like, oh my goodness. So I go watch it. And I had red hair, and I was probably about I was a lot younger and, a lot about 20, £30 heavier at least than I am now. But but it was cool, and it was a song that I had never put on an album.
Donna:It was called What You Do to Me, and Richard Fleming, and I wrote it years ago as a tip of the hat to Buddy Holly. And it never was on any album of mine. I never had it recorded on anything. And all of a sudden, TJ, out of nowhere, here comes this video of me in London, England back in the year 2000. It was 2,000, not 2020.
Donna:2000. It was 24 years ago from London, England in the year 2000. So I was old as I then. I was in my forties then.
T. J.:Okay. Alright.
Donna:K. So but wow. You know? And then and I was like, I've forgotten about that song and how good it was. And, oh, wow.
Donna:And here's this video of me performing in London, England with playing the song that you don't ever know.
T. J.:Well, see, that confirms there may be something lying in wait that you've already created.
Donna:That's right. You just don't ever know. You know, it's just like God opens doors at some of the times that you just don't ever know. You always gotta be paying attention to Dan. He's always got a message, you know, or or or send you something or, you know.
T. J.:When you were growing up, you know, your mom and dad worked, and they sang, and they performed Yeah. And they were active in the church. Yes. What was that like for you, you know, coming of age? I mean, how how did they have time for church?
T. J.:If you're performing on a Friday or Saturday or even a weeknight, how did they make time for church attendance?
Donna:They just did because they were so committed to our church. And it was like my uncle Felton always said, you know, whenever he's coming off the road with Elvis, he was at church. You know, he said, hey. God takes care of me all week long. I'm come you know, I I need to give time here and come come serve and, but with my mom and dad, they're they're multitaskers.
Donna:My parents are I got it honest. My folks are multitaskers. Now now when dad and, his brothers went full time with the, with their male group. It was in the sixties. So mama was working and raising us, and she drove us, me and my brothers, 3 different schools Mhmm.
Donna:Because of the because of the age difference, you know, dad. Worked a job, took care of the house, took a shot of our activities, and was in church.
T. J.:Wow.
Donna:You know? That was what we knew. And it was like we were always in church on Sunday. We went to Sunday school. We went to church.
Donna:You know, it was we wanted to. It wasn't it was just part of part of us. It was like, you know, our whole family, my, at the church that we went to, my mom and dad, my brothers and I went. My grandparents were there. My aunts and uncles were there and cousins.
Donna:I mean, it was like, a lot of my family in that church. And so that was a and we go eat lunch after church. I mean, it was like we were all that was family time. You know? Absolutely.
T. J.:Donna, talk about, for those who may not know, the church as a building, the church that you grew up in, at the Franklin church. And just kinda give that historical background. And then
Donna:Yeah.
T. J.:Maybe we could talk about how that has influenced who you are today.
Donna:Uh-huh.
T. J.:But I I want you to tell the story because you can tell it better than me, the history of the church.
Donna:Well, it was founded in 8 let me get the can I get the book?
T. J.:Oh, sure. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Donna:Alright. It has a there's a wonderful thing, but I don't wanna miss anything up. So hold on.
T. J.:Okay.
Donna:I don't I don't wanna get my information off. Mhmm. My mother would not be happy with me. Mama died 3 years ago, and I really miss her so much.
T. J.:And the reason the reason I'm asking you is because I believe the actual not only just community of people that you mentioned, the family and the friends, but I wonder if the church as an environment also has influenced who you are today in terms of fostering, writing, and performing. Mhmm.
Donna:Okay. Let's see. So this, the Franklin Church was built in 1876 on West Main Street, and, it was Hugh Cathcart Thompson, who was the architect of the Ryman Auditorium, also that signed our church. And it it was, it's, of course, it's downtown. Of course, there's a it it's beautiful.
Donna:A lot of the old architecture is remains they have they The steeple got blown off back years years years ago, and they we did a fundraiser to put the brand new steeple. You can see it when you're coming into downtown Franklin with that. And, the acoustics in that church are just incredible. And we still have the pews that were there. Used to in the old days, the man the man sat on one side and the women on the other.
Donna:That was crazy. Way back, way back, way back, and I barely remember that. But, because but, of course, you know, when my aunt worked at RCN, we had a lot of country music people that came to the church, Cedar Davis. So I we just talked about earlier, and, Carl Perkins and Jimmy Dean and different people like that would come to the church. And then, also the gospel groups and JKS and the the stamps and different, name people would come.
Donna:And, when we were there, of course, you know, when my mother died 3 years ago, I'm not there anymore. It was we drove to Franklin for years and from Hendersonville after we moved up here and then because mama wanted to keep going there. But, the music because all the families sang, and, it was all about the music there. The southern gospel music was very much embraced in our church and still is. We had singing schools, the shape notes, where you're gonna learn how to read the shape notes, the singing schools.
Donna:And, You
T. J.:had that in the church?
Donna:Yes. We did that. We we had it wherever back years years ago, they have in the summertime. You know, we weren't big enough to do vacation bible school and stuff like that, but we'd have singing schools. And, I know back before I was born, they had to sing in schools like, then my folks brought it back, a few times in later years.
Donna:And, and I mean, a lot of times after church, we'd all be hanging around the piano and singing songs and just singing just singing because we love to sing. It was always, just, it was a small church. It was a loving church. And, you know, no no nothing fancy, folks. You know?
Donna:And, and it it just small, you know, small church full of believers that, and we welcomed all who came in. We were happy to have people there with us to visit. We but our music was in our main focal point. That was one of our main things, and they still, talk about that in their, when they talk about the church today, they, accent about the music. And, and that was really our strong point.
Donna:We had our choir and, and the and all the music that we had. I mean, it was just, you know, it was a big part of who we were and are. And, so for me, just I think everything in my life has put me on this journey that I'm at now. The older I get, the more I, with all the things I've gone through, we went through COVID. I went through losing my mother 3 years ago with COVID.
Donna:All during that, she died with COVID.
T. J.:Mhmm.
Donna:And, it was back during the restrictions when you could not go visit them. We only had FaceTime. And, it was very brutal, and my mother and I are very close. And and then I always had illnesses, and then my father had a stroke last summer. But he came back from it, and he's doing very well now.
Donna:There's been a lot of things, but everything that's happened to me, made me get closer in my faith to God and like to write more about that. And I think during COVID, especially, I wanted to write songs to lift up people and encourage them because we were all going through a hard time. And it's just like, I wanted people to know, hey. We got faith. We got hope.
Donna:We got God. He's he's got us. Don't worry about it. You know? Just writing songs to lift people up and get them through those dark because that was a horrible period for all of us.
Donna:And, so, I just think that everything everything in my life and it's all the things that we've gone through and especially through COVID and and beyond, it's made me more more aware I'm trying to prepare for and I'm 66. I know my time here is running out. I'll be gone sooner than later, unless he comes back for us and, before I die. But, so I I I'm really just trying to just get prepared. You know?
Donna:And just that's what I wanna sing about. That's how I wanna live, and it's and I don't know if I even if I got off track with you there or not. Just
T. J.:No. We're doing fine. We're just having a conversation.
Donna:Okay.
T. J.:Donna, when when do you feel closest to God?
Donna:When I'm by myself in the mornings, I have my devotional time. When I wake up, I read. I've got my Bible, and I've got my little books, my devotional books that I read. I have my prayer time, with God first thing in the morning before I do anything. That's my morning devotional here in the house.
Donna:When I'm out walking we live on 5 acres up here in Hendersonville. And so when I'm out walking, I feel close. When I'm traveling by myself, when I'm on the road, I travel by myself and, go out a lot. When I'm in the car, I talk to God a lot. So there's there's all these different times and that but that's the times is when I'm in the word and, when I'm reading, when I'm singing, I feel it.
Donna:I feel it when I sing my songs, or when I'm just praising in a worship service or or in the choir, whatever I'm doing, just when I'm singing, for sure, you know, too.
T. J.:Yeah. I wanted to ask you, when you're writing songs and when you're performing, where does your mind go? Are you thinking about the lyrics? Are you thinking about the faces of the people that you're performing for? What goes through an artist's mind?
Donna:Well, one thing
T. J.:Your mind, I guess, specifically.
Donna:Yeah. The words and the music, of course. But I like to connect with people and audience. Mhmm. I always look around, and I and I look at people.
Donna:I'm always making eye contact, and I'm not just, and then there are certain people if you see somebody really smiling or tearing up or whatever, or the different ones, I just try to play, read the room and play to to everyone and just, you know, just to connect with them that I'm not just up there. Oh, I'm up here playing. I like to have that contact with people. And, that's what I love about being a I call myself and and in my publicity, everybody says the traveling troubadour. That's what I am, because I play by myself.
T. J.:And
Donna:I'm out traveling, and I and I it's not a band. I mean, I work with a band here and there sometimes, but it's just me and my guitar and, most times. And so, that way, I love to do that because then I can share the stories behind the song. Sometimes a lot of the places I perform, I'm able to share the the story behind it.
T. J.:Or
Donna:what inspired it is more intimate. It's more personal. So but so I'm thinking about yeah. I'm thinking about, especially, something new. When I have something I've just written, I will carry a cheat sheet with me and have it strategically hid, you know, where I can see it because I don't wanna mess up the words because the words are very important, you know.
Donna:And, so you don't wanna mess in you know? But I'm I'm thinking about I'm thinking about I'm thinking about what I'm playing, but I'm also thinking about connecting with those faces, connecting with the people that are listening, and just that they're listening and that they're they're feeling what I'm saying. You know? That's very important.
T. J.:Is a song ever done? And I I know we talked about this off mic, but I I don't have the musical talent. So I always marvel at those that do. So I'm always intrigued by how music comes to be. So when you are preparing your songs and writing them, is it ever done, or is it always alive?
T. J.:Is it always taking shape?
Donna:It's taking shape. And, it meant that some things get written quicker than others. Sometimes I'll have because, because, you know, with me playing guitar so much, of course, I've got melodies in my head. Mhmm. But the words usually come first, and a lot of times it'll come from it can come from a conversation.
Donna:A lot of stuff that I write nowadays comes from something I read in the Bible or out of my daily devotionals. I go, I need to write that. You know? Or or it's a lot of my songs are based on a scripture.
T. J.:Mhmm.
Donna:And even though they might not be full blown gospel songs, if you go listen to, my my CDs, especially over the last few years, you're gonna hear some But, But, so I'll write, and what I do is I'll get my guitar out. I'll get my book out. I'll just start writing
T. J.:Mhmm.
Donna:The words, and then I have the melody. I get the guitar out, and I'll have rough drafts. And I'll you know, once I think it's finally done, I'll make a little demo on my phone, and, then I'll commit the words on the computer, register it with the the performance organizations and all that, do my homework, have everything done. And so it's a progress. It's a it's a step by step.
Donna:You know?
T. J.:Okay.
Donna:But it's great to when you have a book, and that's why these journals that I have. Know, you take a plain white page with nothing on it, and all of a sudden, within few minutes, a few hours, a day or 2, boom. Mhmm. You have a song.
T. J.:On average on average, how long does it take you to create a song?
Donna:Depends. You know, sometimes I'll have it knocked out within a couple hours. Wow. Other times, it might be in a 2 or 3 part situation, like, where alright. Most of it then just kinda step away from it.
Donna:Mhmm. And then just come back because I might be getting hung up somewhere like, oh, what I do on a a bridge or what I do here. And I'll come back and I'll come back to it. So it just depends. Every song has a different, process, but they all but they all come out.
Donna:You know? And I said, you know, I think and I do believe I know you'll hear a lot of songwriters say that God gave them the songs, and I believe that because I know there's some that I've written that definitely god gave them to me, you know, for sure. Absolutely.
T. J.:How do you know that? Is it because they come easy, or is it the content? Is it the the meaning behind it?
Donna:The meaning behind it. The meaning behind it. Or it's just like there's a message that I need to to deliver. You know? And when I went through like I said, with the COVID, writing the songs, or that well, then when my mom was so sick and passed away, I've written quite a few songs about going through that.
Donna:A lot of people, especially, you know, we start the older we get, we start losing a lot more folks, family, and, so many people I know lost their moms and dads. And, it's just part of the life life circle. And, so, hopefully, a lot of the songs that I wrote during that period help people who are grieving. In fact, I know people that have told me that, you know, that song you wrote about your mother got me through, you know, And that's the when people tell you that about what you've written, that is that's worth it worth it all. I mean, that's better than any award or million sales or whatever when somebody tells you how your song touched them and what it meant to them with what they're going through.
Donna:That's the best that's as good as it gets, you know, to me.
T. J.:So the feedback from the listener or the audience, whether you're performing or just conversations afterward, that interaction, that relational aspect Yes. Is is really important.
Donna:Very important. Very important.
T. J.:We were talking, before we got started about some of your musical influences. I wanted to ask you about the people in your life that have helped foster and nurture your Christian faith. And, you know, who are they, and how do they help you along on your journey?
Donna:Well, of course, you know, I with my family, but I came from, my my mother, number 1, mama. God rest her soul. She was the best. And mama was would come to hear me play, not every time, but she's come a lot. I mean, because I play out a lot, but she she come whenever I'd write something.
Donna:She's the 1st person I'd play it for. I go, mom, I got a song, and she'd drop whatever she's doing. She'd wanna hear it. She's the 1st person I'd play for.
T. J.:Wow.
Donna:Every time I went in the studio, yes, he was the 1st person to hear what I brought home when I recorded mama. You know? She she encouraged me and was believed in me and was in my corner all the way. She was a beautiful Christian woman who in her own her own ministry besides, you know, when her singing and all that in her younger years, and she always sang in church afterwards. But my mother had a card ministry that she would not believe.
Donna:She sent cards to people everywhere. I don't know how much she spent, but Hallmark and the post office made a lot of money off my mom because she was cards. Cards. And do you know how many people have told me one day we were honoring my mama at the Franklin Church, and I was speaking about her. And I said, how many of you got a card from my mother out in the crowd?
Donna:Every hand went up. Mhmm. And there was a lot of people in there that day. Every single hand went up. And I may we mentioned again when she passed away, you know, and, so many people when she was living, but also after she died, you know, your mother's cards.
Donna:I still have the cards your mama sent me, what they meant to me. I still have all the cards she's given me through the years, and I'll just pick them up and read them. Sometimes just grab one, and I have her everywhere. I mean, she, sought for biggest influence. My mother, my mother, my mother for sure.
Donna:And, out of the professional side of things, I talked about Skeeter Davis, and I really gotta talk about her. And, because Skeeter was a very devout Christian. She, and and she let it be known. She never tried to hide her face. She wasn't a gospel artist.
Donna:Full blown, but she always sang gospel on her show. She was always witnessing, always sharing her faith everywhere. And, so I gotta share the story about Skeeter because this is very important.
T. J.:Alright.
Donna:So when I was a little girl, when the end of the world was a big hit record, and Skeeter and my aunt Mary were big friends, and Skeeter spent a lot of time with my family. She come to the Franklin church sometimes. Programs or for different things, but Cedar come to Franklin Cumberland Presbyterian Church a lot of times through the years. And, so I would sing along with her records on that big piece of with the stereo I was telling you about. I said, deliver it at my mom and dad's house with the records.
T. J.:Yeah.
Donna:And mom would put my hair up in the little Skeeter Davis curls, you know, and all that stuff. And and, and I'd say, Skeeter Davis, when I grow up, I'm gonna sing with you. Now let's fast forward from 1963 to 1996. Skeeter Davis gets diagnosed with the bone cancer that would take her away from us in 2004. I get a phone call from her one day, and we'd stayed friends and in touch all 3 years.
Donna:She called me up. She when when she got diagnosed with cancer, she goes, Donna, it's time for us to go do this. So it's time for us to go sing together. I went with her to I said, where are we going? And she goes, Saint Lucia.
Donna:I said, where did we leave it at? We went to Saint Lucia. We went to Barbados. I went with her around America. I got to do the Grand Ole Opry with her
T. J.:Wow.
Donna:A bunch of times. And my mother tape recorded every performance, and, I have them all stacked because it's my momma taped off off the radio. And, but Skeeter and I, we we sang together. She had me open her shows sometimes. She come to my my CD release party, my very first album I did in 98.
Donna:Cedar Davis came and sat on the front row with my family. Tried to get her up on stage to sing with us. She goes, no. This is your night. She goes, this is for you.
Donna:You know? Well, even from beyond the grave, Skeeter was helping me now because after she died, and her her funeral was at the Ryman Auditorium, and I was a pallbearer. So right before the funeral started, Jeannie Seeley and Jeannie Hood came and got me, and they're going, you're coming with us. And I'm like, the funeral started, and I'm a pallbearer. I gotta stay here.
Donna:No. You're coming with us. Well, what's gonna they said, Skeeter chose your life to sing with her. And on this day, Skeeter had put in her funeral arrangements that I was to sing with the grand ladies of the Grand Ole Opry. So I was up there, Vince Gill and Ricky Skaggs and the grand ladies.
Donna:Here I am a pair of singing with them at Peter Davis' funeral. She had requested that.
T. J.:Wow. And you and you didn't know until that
Donna:moment? No. I had no idea she was gonna do that. They come and got me. I'm like, what?
Donna:And they took me back there, and, all of it there was, like, Amy Grant was there because of events. You know? Lori Morgan, Martina McBride, Connie Smith, Jean Shepherd, all the Lori Morgan, everybody. Mhmm. And the g the 2 genies said, this is Donna Frost Skeeter's, singer and friend.
Donna:She's gonna be one of us today. And, TJ, they all gathered around me and put their arms around me. These women all just I was enveloped with this love, and I was just in tears with that. Well, then 2013, this was just 9 years after Skeeter died. I get a email, a call from the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame.
T. J.:Mhmm.
Donna:They're inducting Skeeter, and they've invited me to come perform at the induction. So I go to Kentucky with one of, mine and Peter's friend, Linda Stegall. We went up to Lexington, Kentucky. And here I am on a show with the Kentucky headhunters, exile, Jackie to Shannon, Steve Warner, Sam Bush, and me. And I'm like, look at that.
Donna:What? You know? What? I wore a lot of skaters jackets, and I was saying end of the world. We had the video up on YouTube.
Donna:And it was such a great honor to be able to represent her posthumously at this induction. So that that whole thing was here. Just, and I'll tell you another thing about her too. When I had another CD release party for my second album, I had done a 2 2 part thing at Borders Bookstore. In the first night, she had sent flowers to me, but she couldn't stay.
Donna:She goes, I'm coming back the next night. And she came, and she says, now don't tell anybody. Said they were trying to get me to come sing at the Opry and George Hamilton the 4th was gonna come pick me up and take me. And I told him I didn't feel good because I wanted to come support you. That this means so much to me.
Donna:You know, she was that kind of she was all I have tons of notes from Cedar too. Cards that she wrote me through the years and notes from her, but Cedar's notes are my mother's notes. Oh, boy. I got so much in those those that, they're they're still with me the from beyond, you know, from heaven.
T. J.:So these these two women, among other people as well, have helped shaped your faith and how you interact with other individuals even to your performances.
Donna:Yes. Absolutely. You know, something I learned and I'll tell you a lesson I learned from uncle Pelton Jarvis. He had worked with the biggest star in the world with Elvis. You know?
Donna:Uncle Belton, he, Mary aunt Mary married him. They had about 10 years, and he died awful young. He was only 46. Mhmm. He had a stroke and died right when he finished up a posthumous project on Elvis.
Donna:But my uncle was very humble and very down to earth. And, you know, I said, you know, if Pelton Jarvis works with the biggest star in the world and is hanging out with Elvis and all, And he's humble and down to earth. Listen, be humble and down to earth. You know? Skeeter was that way.
Donna:Skeeter was when she'd be out performing. She would go talk to everybody. She remembered everybody's names everywhere. She was always taking time to talk to people about themselves, not just, you know, what and all about me me me me me. Mhmm.
Donna:And my mother, it was that way too. My mother's very you know? So the genuine interest in others, you know, to and and, caring for other people and letting them know that you're not phony, you know, just being real and and and caring for other people. You know?
T. J.:It's interesting you brought that up because I was going to ask you. I mean, you you have accolades, you have awards, you have multiple albums underneath your belt. How does how does your faith speak to the humility? Because I would think that it would potentially put an artist in a place where the world surrounds, you. And I mean, of course, the people that are around you in in theory.
T. J.:Okay. I'm not an artist, so I don't know. This is my imagination. You know, often would be tempted to tell you what you want to hear. And it's hard to build a relationship with other human beings in in those cases.
T. J.:So, I guess You
Donna:know, just keeping it real. Because I I I I remember what I read in the bible about how we're supposed to conduct ourselves as Christians and being humble and not getting caught up in ourselves and things of this world. Mhmm. And I I am reminded of that daily when I read when I'm in that that time in the mornings. And, just, I don't get caught up in things that I when I was younger.
Donna:I mean, my life has changed so much. You know, I played rock and roll for years back in the eighties and stuff, and I want, you know, those the past is the past, and praise God, I'm free from all that. But, but, you know, it's, the older I get, the closer I am in my walk and I just I I I conduct I read I just remember the things that we're told in the scripture, how we're supposed to conduct ourselves as we're out here with everybody else. Loving our brothers and sisters, doing stuff to make the world a better place, doing things to help other people and lift them up. And, and I'm not I don't care about all that other stuff.
Donna:You know? I don't I don't I don't it's not I I'm very thrilled with the awards I've received. I'm very thrilled with the things that have happened for me. I'm very blessed. I'm very grateful.
Donna:But I I I, don't get as I get older. I wanna be remembered for what I did to help others more than how I helped myself.
T. J.:Mhmm.
Donna:If that makes sense. It's not all about me. Skeeter always said that. She said it's not all about me. It's about my father's business.
T. J.:Mhmm.
Donna:Yeah. And that's what Cedar said when she was out. She she said that all the time. She goes, it's not about oh, it's not all about me. It's about my father's business.
Donna:And, the older I get and the longer I'm out here and the and, of course, I told you earlier, you know, I'm involved in a lot of different organizations with I do, with room in the end. I volunteer with my music over there with the homeless. Mhmm. And, then I'm with them with Music for Seniors for 7 years. Now I lead a senior group.
Donna:I teach ukulele at First Baptist Church for, 50 fives and overs, and I've got a group of 15 people. We go out and play. And, I take them out, and we we have a lot of fun. I do a lot of work with the animals at the Humane Society of Summer County. I'm a big advocate for adopting animals, and, so I think I like to use my music as a platform to, for these causes that I'm so dedicated to.
Donna:So that's how I look at it now. My music is a platform to do good work. And, all I gotta tell you, I had talked about people that are doing good work. I've got to mention this church that, God hit one of our Cumberland Presbyterian churches. They got, hit in the tornado in Hendersonville, Saint Saint Luke, Cumberland Presbyterian.
Donna:I was there Sunday. I was invited to come over and be a part of, they had a celebration for the Cumberland Presbyterian Faith on Sunday, February 4th. That was the anniversary of our faith being founded many, many, many, many, many years ago.
T. J.:That's right.
Donna:And, in Dixon. So they had, my friend Richard Trast, he invited me to come and he and I played music and before the service and, for the during the hospitality time. And, that church, they they, what beautiful people they are over there. And, I definitely plan to go back over there some more and spend some time with them, and, I really enjoyed being over there. But, you know, they were doing that work with the homeless, the laundry, where they were doing the homeless laundry and then Richard would cook for them.
T. J.:Yeah. It was called, the laundry aspect is Sacred Sparks ministry. Yeah. And then Saint Luke had appliances for individuals to Right. Wash their clothing and then pick up a meal as well.
Donna:Right. Because Richard had come from well, when the tornado came, that facility where they did all that got blown away. Mhmm. And, I mean, when Richard took, my friend, Lois Hess, and I back there, we went out because it didn't harm the sanctuary at all. The sanctuary was unharmed.
Donna:But when you walk through the double doors, that were the other the and and and just see all the walls blown out and all the destruction there. Oh, boy. I mean, they're I mean, but but they will come back from it. You know. But I I was just thoroughly that was, I played an event over there for them back last summer, a songwriter, thing that Richard does from time to time, they'll do a potluck, and then he'll bring in a few songwriters like myself and himself, and we'll play.
Donna:And we have a time of fellowship, But I really wanna give a shout out to St. Luke. I I just I just love those folks. They were so so very kind, and and I just want I hope they I know they'll come back from all this. God's taken care of them.
T. J.:Mhmm. Well, Donna, you have, you've had the opportunity to travel the world Yes. And meet new people, perform, create, meet other Christians, visit and worship in other churches. Yes. From your perspective, what makes the Cumberland Presbyterian Church special and unique?
Donna:I think the main thing that we always said that some churches don't do the main thing that whosoever will is welcome. Whosoever will may come. Just like when we do communion. You know? It's like anyone can take it.
Donna:Some churches, you have to be a member. They don't you know, there are these rules and regulations. Cumberland Presbyterian is just how do I how do I put it? Just the, we we love on each other and we're small. It's a smaller congregations and we you know, our our give me a minute.
T. J.:Yeah. There's no hiding as a stranger in a in a Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
Donna:No. Not at all. You're welcome. Mhmm. You're appreciated.
Donna:People love you. And, and and with it being smaller, I think I've done very some big Cumberland churches. I I used to be a member of Tuscan a few years ago. I was at Tuscan back when brother Ronnie Pittenger was there.
T. J.:Mhmm.
Donna:And, I loved that church. It was a bigger church, but a lot of the Cumberland churches are small. Mhmm. So you don't know. Yeah.
Donna:You can't hide in. Everybody knows everybody. I think that's the the cool part about the the the sweet part about it. Everybody's welcome. It's just very informal, and it's, and it's just a beautiful family of believers, you know, worshiping worshiping God and and and, singing praises and singing our songs.
Donna:And, a lot of the churches are, they still stick to the old school music, you know, which I think, I think sometimes the hymns get lost with bigger churches. And, the hymns get lost because we're doing these praise songs, and that's all well and good. I like those, but I love the hymns and you can't beat the the old songs. The old songs that that they tell stories. And I don't think and sometimes people miss the whole song when they're singing them in the churches.
Donna:Sing verse 1 and and last verse, no. You need to sing the whole song to get the gist of what it's all about. You know? And, but it's good to see the old songs are still prevalent in the Cumberland ministry and then in the churches, Cumberland churches. And, and it's it's just a a great denomination, you know, and it's not, thinking that we're the only ones here.
Donna:Mhmm. You know? We're not. They you know? They you know?
Donna:Some some denominations think they're the only ones. You know? That that that if you don't believe like they do, you're going to hell. And, I mean, that's not true. That's not true.
Donna:What in fact, and I was reading today in Acts 11 is the first time that Christy the disciples were called Christians. That was the first time the word Christianity came in. So we're all Christians, you know, no matter what, the denominations I mean, I think when Jesus, years ago, what I'm worried about are you, Presbyterian or Baptist or whatever? And I know we broke off from the Cumberland Presbyterians, broke off from the the Presbyterian because of the great awakening and the, revival and the, the days of Pentecost. And and, well, I would've loved to have been around back then.
Donna:You know? I hope so. To experience it. And Dixon and that's her I would have loved to experience what they were what happened there. Mhmm.
Donna:With all the days of praying and, they were talking about the, how the the the worshiping went on for days because you didn't know when a preacher was coming through again because they didn't believe in, the Presbyterian church wanted college educated preachers from the north to be their pastors and come around. It's like, hey. You know, who so can preach. We want a preacher. We're not worried about all that.
Donna:Mhmm. You know? And then and you got these circuit riding preachers. I thought I would love to been around back then and experience that. Mhmm.
Donna:You know? And maybe, you know, I would love to. I would love to see what happened. But, you know, maybe we'll we're gonna see a great revival someday. We're gonna see we're gonna see, the second coming one day, and I think it's we're gonna see it in our lifetime.
Donna:I really do. I believe it.
T. J.:Looking at your music and the opportunities to meet all these different people. We haven't used this word in our conversation yet, but do you see your music as a ministry? And if you do, in what way?
Donna:Yes. I do. I do in a way. I mean, I don't think of it as a ministry like, send me 100 of dollars. I'll send you a
T. J.:prayer box. Of course.
Donna:Oh, my bad. But I I I know it's like in gospel world. People get up their ministries and they get all it. But I'm a different kind of ministry, you know, and I think, my songs are to lift the spirits and and, give hope to the hopeless. And there's a song that I wrote that's on my album, the quarantine sessions volume 2.
Donna:It's called the love that lives in me, and I call it my daily prayer. And it says, let me be a light in the darkness, a silver lining inside of a cloud. Let me bring hope to the hopeless for as long as I'm alive. Let me gross have strength when my body is weary. Let me be bold even when I'm meek.
Donna:But most of all, let others see the love that lives in me. That's, of course, that's my daily prayer. That's what I think that my music what I'm supposed to do. You know? That's not my work.
T. J.:Oh, cool. I haven't thought of music in that way. I, you know, I guess I I would think of music as in as in events from the past, which do inform, I would imagine, your your creation. Mhmm. But yours is almost an anthem, a a not a place to arrive, but the path to get there.
Donna:Right.
T. J.:That's that's pretty amazing, Donna. Of course music is that way. Why wouldn't it be? But I don't know. I guess I've never really I hadn't thought of it in that that way before.
Donna:That's that's what I think. You know, it's a and it really is. And it's just like when I play, and I play in all kinds of I play in all denominations, churches. I visit every every kind every denomination. There there's if you want me to come sing for you, I'm coming.
Donna:You got me. Yeah. I'll be there. You know? And, because I'm wide open for that, you know, too.
Donna:And, so and then another one thing Matthew's doing, we've run we're running an ad in the magazine next month. I'm really wanting to visit, after the the after they did the story about me in the magazine and the cover and the stories. And then I saw the churches. I'm like, oh, how wonderful it would be if I could just go sing and visit all these Cumberland Presbyterian churches. This would be so great.
Donna:So I'm hoping, you know, that, we'll get some response because I really do. I wanna come visit and and and share my music and and just come visit all these churches. And I don't care how far away it is. I'll go wherever. You know?
Donna:I mean, Avatar will travel. You know? And
T. J.:Let's talk about that. So this is an open invitation for those who are listening, that Donna would love to come and play for your church, your group. Yes. Donna, where let's start here first. Where can people find your music?
T. J.:Because I would imagine as a music lover myself, I wanna hear what Donna has to play. I wanna hear her gifts in music. So where can people find your music? We'll start there first.
Donna:Alright. Well, yeah, I have a a wonderful website that stays up to date all the time. W it's very simple. Www.donafrost.com.
T. J.:Mhmm.
Donna:I have a YouTube channel, which is Donna Frost 12 Strings. So I've got all kinds of videos up on that. That's the 2 best places. And, of course, I'm, you know, I'm on all the different social medias and all that Facebook and Instagram and all that. But but if you got my website, I've got videos and I've got audio and I've got articles and all kinds of stuff on there.
Donna:And, and on YouTube, I've got all kinds of music videos on there, different things through the years, including that song from 1998 or no. From 2000. From 2000. Yeah. That video from 2000 with the red hair.
Donna:And then, and I've got gospel videos, and I've got my Americana videos, and I've got just little videos I've made at home. So, you know, you can check everything out on any of those, you know, and and see me.
T. J.:And and people can reach out to you, through the website if they want
Donna:to. Sure. They, they can email me. This is easy. It's just like it sounds.
Donna:Donnafrost 12 strings@gmail.com, like 12 string guitar. Donnafrost12strings@gmail.com. You can email me, or you can send me a message on Facebook. I'm there. You can't miss me.
Donna:I'm on Facebook. You can message me on there. Or on Instagram, you can, I'm I'm easy to find. And, so if anybody would like to book me, because I I would just real I really after I read the this came out, and and I was thinking about all the Cumberland Presbyterian churches. And, of course, I've been over at Saint Luke's a few times.
Donna:And, but, I thought, you know, it would be fun just to go to just make a circuit and go visit the Cumberland churches and play music. And I know a lot of them are smaller, and and I don't hurt every everybody's wallet either. I'm affordable, and we we make note of that in the ad, you know, because, a lot of times people charge a lot of money.
T. J.:And, you
Donna:know, TJ, when people ask me what's my rate, I just say, whatever you can do is fine with me because God takes care of me. I'm good. So, you know, whatever whatever I don't say, well, I gotta have, you know, 1,000 of dollars and, all this stuff. No. Whatever you whatever you wanna do is good.
T. J.:Well, I'll keep that in mind. I have a birthday coming up. I have to Cool.
Donna:Oh, when's your birthday?
T. J.:It's in March.
Donna:Oh, wow. Nice.
T. J.:Yeah. Yeah. I'll have to ask you to play some folk music for me as we were talking about off mic.
Donna:Alright. Happy to. What what day is your breakdown?
T. J.:March 17th.
Donna:Oh, Saint Patty's Day.
T. J.:Uh-huh. Uh-huh.
Donna:Yeah. Cool.
T. J.:Well, I have a fun question for you before Alright. We wrap up our conversation.
Donna:Alrighty.
T. J.:And, have you ever been starstruck before?
Donna:Yes. Yes. Can I share with you?
T. J.:Sure. Yeah. That's why I asked.
Donna:Oh, yeah. Absolutely. I yes. I have been starstruck. And I'll tell you the biggest starstruck that ever happened to me.
Donna:Now now we had a tornado. We come through Hendersonville in 2005. And at the time, I'm a big fan of the Bee Gees. I love the Bee Gees. Love, love, love, love, love the Bee Gees.
Donna:And I had a giant crush on Barry Gibbs since I was a kid. Mhmm. You know? So, oh my. Anyway, they had a benefit kind of at the time.
Donna:Barry Gibbon just bought Johnny Cash's house, and he was gonna make a songwriter retreat. My dad played golf and was friends with Tommy Cash, Johnny's brother, who was a realtor who sold to Barry.
T. J.:Okay.
Donna:So they were doing a concert in Hendersonville, and Barry Gibb was gonna perform. And my dad said, Tommy, if there's anything you can do to get Donna, she loves Barry Gibb. If you could get her backstage to meet him, that would mean so much to her. And, so Tommy set it up. I I'm out there watching the show.
Donna:Get a call on my phone cell phone. You can come back now to me, Barry Gibb. And he's standing there with his sunglasses on the black leather jacket, and I just froze in my tracks, and I couldn't move. And, he goes, hello. Love it.
Donna:I went, oh my. Oh, you know? I went up to him and I started to I don't remember what I said. I just started bab, bab, bab, bab, bab, got a picture together. It was so funny, but for I could not say a word for the first few minutes, I just stood there and they're like, you need to go up there.
Donna:You know? I'm like, oh my gosh. It's Barry Gibb. You know? That was that was crazy.
Donna:You know? And and I met, when I met, Davy Jones of the Monkeys, because I had a crush on him when I was a little girl. And, he was at Cool Springs in Franklin signing a book. And, the cool the thing about Davie was, like, you know, a lot of times you got these book signings. They just want you to give them the book that they signed, but and they don't wanna sign your other stuff.
Donna:Well, anybody could bring whatever they wanted, and he would not leave until every single person got to see him. You know? So when I come up there to him, I said and I'm just like, what am I gonna say? And I said, I have loved you forever. And he goes, I've loved you forever too.
Donna:And I was like, and he was so delightful. He was such a sweet man. I talked to him for and he saw my stuff. We got a picture. He was just precious.
Donna:So but, I mean, I get starstruck too. I mean, even though though, I I do. I'm an off people that are that are, that have had the big success and that I looked up to when I was scared. If I met Joni Mitchell, I know I wouldn't say I'd be able to say a word. I'd be just like you know?
Donna:I would I would just be dumbfounded. You know? I wouldn't know what to do. But but or if I met Paul McCartney oh my goodness. Oh, dear.
Donna:Yeah. Oh, man. Oh, well. I I just I I am a big fan of everybody. My record collection, my CD collection, and the number of concerts I have been to in my lifetime are crazy.
Donna:And, I mean, I just I love it. I love it. I love I'm a big fan of everybody. You know? I just there's so much great music that has come out through the years, and there's so much.
Donna:You know? But I'm I'm just a fan. You know?
T. J.:Yeah. We were we were talking how music has the ability to be able to not only transform you, but transport you in a way that other things cannot. And whether it's through an instrument or a voice, which is also an instrument, these are gifts from God for the the better betterment of the world.
Donna:Mhmm.
T. J.:And, yeah. There's very few things that can transform and transport in the way that music can.
Donna:That's right. That's right. There's nothing like it. You know? It's, it's very it just does add.
Donna:Yes. Yes. Yes. Oh, I know something I better mention while we're here.
T. J.:Alright.
Donna:And if you can I know you'll be able to do your editing and whatever? I gotta talk about my my my father for a few minutes, if I might.
T. J.:Yeah. I was gonna let you lead on that discussion.
Donna:If you're willing
T. J.:to, you could. If you didn't, you could.
Donna:Yeah. Yes. Yes.
T. J.:Yeah. So Talk about parts. Yeah. So explain to folks who he is and what and, yeah, your relationship to him.
Donna:My dad. Well, of course, we're we're here in the house together since, you know, mom has been gone. And, my dad's Don Frost. He, in fact, this year is the 100th year of the Frost family in gospel music. His his dad and brothers were the original Frost Brothers quartet.
Donna:They started in 1924. And then, dad and mom and her sister Mary and dad's brothers, Colin Abernwer, the Frost Juniors. And then when mama and aunt Mary when the when the Frost Brothers went all male, dad and his brothers, and there have been Frost in gospel ever since. And, dad, they had their first album. Dad was traveling all the time.
Donna:He'd always be bringing us back records and stuff from the you know? And then he he went to they went to Canada, and, I gotta share some of this with you. I'm gonna be talking forever. So, but this is I have to cover this all. It's a lot lot of information.
Donna:So back in the sixties, we, you know, dad and him were traveling all the time. And I remember when he got to the Corte Convention in Memphis 1 year when he came back home, he brought me a copy of Sergeant Pepper by The Beatles. He brought me that back home. Brought my brother Andy back home, acts as bold as love by Jimi Hendrix. And my little brother, Tony, was a little kid.
Donna:He got a Bugs Bunny album. So but dad would be bringing it. Yeah. My parents were cool. You know?
Donna:They were but, dad was always traveling. We would go to those, all night singings. Mama and us, we'd go with that and, we we got to sell me. JK has used to carry me around backstage at the all night singing sometimes when I was a little girl.
T. J.:Mhmm. And,
Donna:so I grew up in this. And in the sixties, one thing that the the Frost Brothers, they weren't a full time group. They were part time. They worked their jobs, obviously, when you're asking how you do it because they weren't touring full time, but they were still out singing and doing things. And so one year back in picture this is back in the sixties when civil rights and things were my dad, the Frost Brothers were we went to municipal auditorium, and the Frost Brothers were the only white act on this, bill with, the Staple Singers, Shirley Caesar, 5 Bond Boys.
Donna:And we went in. You know? Pop Staples was very intrigued by my dad and his brother, so he invited them to come to Chicago to be on a TV show called Jubilee to perform at McCormick Place for 1, big and it was an all black gospel show. The Frost Brothers was the only white group on there. And they did a TV show called Jubilee Showcase in Chicago.
Donna:They were the only white group on that show too ever. Ever. It's all up on YouTube. So they did. It was all groundbreaking stuff that nobody done, you know, because we're talking like the mid sixties.
Donna:So my the Frost Brothers were doing that. They, were, like, some of the first incorporate country gospel with the steel guitars and all that. And and then in in later years, my dad, and they got the Frost Brothers back together, different combinations. They've sung through the years. Dad, started doing gospel TV shows.
Donna:And for 25 years, he did a show called Music City Gospel Showcase, presenting, people you never heard of and some legends. We have people like Bill Sean, Roy McNeil, Skeeter that were on the show, and our conventions and all. And after my mama died, dad got offered a television show called Don Frost Family and Friends, which is on the TCT network. The show, out of 270 programs on t c TCT, his show is number 9 right now.
T. J.:Wow. And TCT stands for was it Tri
Donna:Christian Television.
T. J.:Yeah. Tri State Christian Television. Yeah.
Donna:Yeah. And they're the hottest Christian network going. So he's had that for, since my mama died that summer. We started, with Don Frost family and friends. And, he's going strong.
Donna:Like I said, the the stroke last year, he was in the hospital for 6, 8 weeks. I can't remember now. It said it did. We were in the hospital. He almost we almost lost him.
Donna:Mhmm. He went into pneumonia after the 1st day or that we were gone in the ER and put him in. He's got pneumonia. We had to put him on a ventilator, but he come out all that. I remember just praying over him, and he said and he wasn't responding for several days.
Donna:He said he could hear me praying over him.
T. J.:Wow. Wow.
Donna:And he wasn't responding. He said I heard you praying for me. Mhmm. And, but he came out of it. He's made a very wonderful recovery.
Donna:They've been able to go film shows again, and he's going strong. And, he'll be 88, June 7th. And we're doing a big we're doing a big show in his hometown of Eagleville where the Frost Brothers started to celebrate the 100 years in gospel music. And, and then the Don Frost family and friend shows airs on Saturdays on TCT at 3, and it's on 3 CST. But, I mean, he's he's amazing.
Donna:I mean, you think about here's this man. It's 80, 87, and he's still he's still out there and getting the word out. And he always says if if, he's been responsible for somebody going to heaven from what his work is. That's what it's all about. You know?
Donna:Putting Jesus first through gospel music. That's his motto.
T. J.:I like it. And the Frost family is celebrating 100 years, June 7, 2024 over in Eagleville, Tennessee.
Donna:Yeah. It's out on Main Street. They do this thing every, the 1st Friday of every month in Eagleville. It's called 1st Fridays, and they have music. So we've gone every every year with our with our caravan of family and friends, and we get big crowds out there.
Donna:There's hundreds of people out there with their lawn chairs and it's out. They have food trucks and it's really fun.
T. J.:It's a
Donna:whole lot of fun. And, so we bring the gospel music out there and they're there, you know. So, so I wanna make sure I got all that in too. There's so much to talk about. I'm just like, I gotta be sure to get this in here.
Donna:So
T. J.:Of course. Yeah.
Donna:Yeah. But they are not we we, he's you know, we he and I are been through a lot together. And, and I'm thankful he's here. I'm thankful he's still active in about and I'm like, see about my father's business, you know, here we go. You know, so
T. J.:It sounds like the last 4 years have been trying
Donna:Very.
T. J.:And challenging. So it's good to hear that 2,024, you have intentional celebrations.
Donna:Mhmm. Absolutely. And it it has been hard. And people you know, I know sometimes and I tell people my faith got me through. It's like, how do you stand obvious?
Donna:So and and, that you've been through. And it's like, well, that would say God doesn't put more on you when you can stand, but sometimes you're like, wonder how much can you. But I have learned I have learned in the last 4 years how much I really can stand because I've been through a lot.
T. J.:Mhmm.
Donna:It has not weakened me. It has not deterred my faith. It's made me stronger. Stronger, stronger, stronger. So it's, well, you know, and so I praise God for bringing me through the through the darkness and getting me into the light.
Donna:And, I have a song about that, out of the darkness into the marvelous light, you know? Just how you pull me through and, and pull and pull people through. I've got I've got another story for you.
T. J.:Okay. Let's hear it.
Donna:You know, the, this is 1 this is a road one. This is, about the the West Virginia mountaintop experience where you feel the presence of God because this was scary. I'm driving from, Virginia. I had some gigs in West Virginia, and I made a wrong turn. GPS had took me down a detour, but it shouldn't have.
Donna:In fact, I should have known better when it said no large trucks on this road. I'm driving. The roads get narrower and more rockier, and the number of houses are getting less and less and less, and it's saying, one mile to this is telling me this is a lot. This isn't right. And I'm all of a sudden, I'm in this mountain.
Donna:Mhmm. With the no paved road, how it didn't tear up the rental car I was in is a miracle because it's rocks and mud and a Jeep and our 4 wheeler is more appropriate for these things. And I thought there's nowhere to turn around. Nowhere to turn around because you're up on this going up this mountain in the GPS. I'm like, what?
Donna:And I'm praying, and all of a sudden, my cell phone has lost the signal.
T. J.:Uh-huh.
Donna:The gas gauge is dropping. The transmission's overheating. And I'm praying and I'm thinking I'm thinking. I'm praying to God and I'm getting myself ready because I'm like, this is it. I'm not coming back.
Donna:There's this is it. I don't know I don't know what's gonna happen. This is not gonna end well. I'm praying and I'm praying and I'm praying to God and I'm praying and I'm and I'm worried about my mom and dad most of all, just like, will anybody find me? Am I gonna get out of here?
Donna:How long is it gonna take for anybody to find me? You know, all these things are going through my mind. And I want you to know, and I'm meanwhile, I'm just I can't stop driving because there's nowhere to go.
T. J.:Mhmm.
Donna:And I'm praying all of a sudden. There is an opening in this mountaintop in this mountain where I can turn the car around and go back down. I've turned the car around. I go back down. Now I got all of a sudden, when I get back on the road, there's a house on the left hand side of the road I didn't see before.
Donna:And these little angels in that house, I rolled down my window and I'm like, I'm I I was on my way to play a show. I was I've always had, but I'm on my way to play a show.
T. J.:Wow.
Donna:I'm late for the show because I'm in here and I can't call in. Yeah. And they said, you come in and use our phone, and we're gonna direct you to a gas station. You can follow us and get back. We're gonna get you back on the right road to get to where you're going.
Donna:So they I go in the house with them and, and go and use the phone. They take me to the gas station. I try to offer this lady money for helping me, and she wouldn't take it. She said, I wanna tell you something. My mother's name was Donna, and she passed away a few months ago, and I wanted to help you.
Donna:And they were that was something. But, I mean, that was gone. I said, yeah. God saved me on it, but he heard my prayer. And I was scared to death.
Donna:I mean, I thought this is it. I mean, you got this picture. You're up here with it's not a road, folks. It's it's a mountain. It's grass and mud and rocks and sticks and not fit for a regular car to drive on.
Donna:I don't know how I got up, but I don't know how I got down with that. I do not know. And I had made a note here to make sure to tell you that my meaningful experience with God, the mountain top in West Virginia because, that that that was God. That was God. God got me out of there.
Donna:No other way.
T. J.:And you met lovely people willing to help.
Donna:Trying to help. I did. It was just like, I'll never forget them. You know? Ever.
Donna:That was something.
T. J.:Donna, it has been a pleasure meeting you today. Oh, yes.
Donna:Oh, I love being with you, TJ. I thoroughly enjoyed this so much, and thank you for having me.
T. J.:Oh, thank you for, walking me through the life of a musician and how music is powerful and how it has influenced your faith and to hear your journey as a Christian. Who is Cumberland Presbyterian and how the all of that compliments and helps make who Donna is. So it's been a joy to get to know you.
Donna:Thank you. It's been a joy to get to know you too. Thank you for having me.
T. J.:Thank you for listening to this faith conversation on Cumberland Road. If you are interested in meeting Donna Frost and hearing her music or having her perform at your church or celebration, check out donnafrost.com. You can find her on almost every social media medium and find her music on Apple Music and Spotify and YouTube. About 3 months ago, Donna wrote a song entitled It's My Truth. I'm not gonna sing it for you, but I do wanna share some of the lyrics. I've been up and down and all around. I've been to heaven and I've been to hell. I'm not rich and I'm not famous, but I have a lot of stories to tell. And I know, I know it's not over. I've got more work to do. Thanks for listening.
