2011 winner for the album & title track
'What Am I Gonna Do?'
BUY NOW!February 18th -Just got back from a memorable week of co-writing @ Writers Bloc with
Mushroom Music Publishing
in the Hunter Valley N.S.W
Kim Richey, Dom Mariani James Blundell and me
Latest Review - KARL DU FRESNE
11 February 2012
I was ashamed to realise that this immensely gifted singer and songwriter has performed to huge crowds in Europe and the US – and wrote the title track for Destination Life, a Grammy Award-nominated album by American bluegrass singer Rhonda Vincent – yet remains virtually unknown in her own country. This no doubt explains why she’s leaving. She also operates in a generally darker, grittier and more traditional genre than the alt-country songbirds of the Chambers-Parsons generation, whose music can loosely be categorised as melodic pop with a country inflection (or, if you prefer, melodic country with a pop inflection).
Dean is older and her life clearly hasn’t always been easy. Introducing her songs she mentioned a period in rehab, a loved brother who died young and a childhood visit to her father in Mt Eden Prison. Read More
I've been invited by the Ministry of Culture and Heritage New Zealand to join a list of other writers as part of the 2012 Book Fair in Frankfurt Germany.
I'm working on taking with me a collection of poems relating to personal battles and triumphs with addictions, others on working in forensic mental health in London along with lyrics from my back catologue. Your donation will help towards making this happen. Contributors will receive a FREE copy of the book and be listed in the credits.
Thanks to Moira Howard, principal at Birchville Primary School in Upper Hutt, who's introducing my song 'I'm A Ball' to the school's Ukulele class. I'm looking forward to hearing it and seeing the DVD!
RIANZ managing director Chris Caddick said, “My sincere congratulations to Donna, who has crafted a truly exceptional album with ‘What Am I Gonna Do?’. Here’s hoping the Tui Award helps the album reach the wide audience it deserves.”
Ant Healey, director of New Zealand operations for APRA, says "Donna Dean is an outstanding contributor to New Zealand music. "There isn’t any doubt that Donna thoroughly deserves the dual honours announced tonight at Gore. The fact that Don McLean chose Donna to open his shows on his New Zealand tour speaks volumes for the regard she is held among music’s giants.” Read APRA press release
Donna has supported an impressive list of America's song writing legends including Don McleanJimmy Webb,Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham and Willie Nelson & Russell Smith.
Her songs are being hand picked for albums reaping Grammy nominations and her creativity is being likened to that of Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan. She has a following in Germany where she's been touring for over a decade but it's her fifth album "What Am I Gonna Do?' that's caught the attention of music fans and critics in America.
Grammy Nominated
Title Track Penned by Kiwi
Donna's song 'Destination Life' was hand picked by American artist Rhonda Vincent as the title track of her 2010 Grammy nominated Bluegrass album.
The album reached number 2 on the U.S Bluegrass charts 2009.
Feb 2011 Special guest on
Tour with Don Mclean
Donna Dean opened this concert with just a guitar and a very appealing voice. Her ‘warm up’ performance showed how versatile she can be and the audience were ‘well primed’ by interval time. Standout song was her’ Destination Life’ which has received international acclaim.
Pat Southee
Review from Don Mclean show Wellington, New Zealand.
I wanna hang out with this band!
No Depression rocks. Still. If you have ever listened to any guitar playin’ women and dug it, you will have to give Donna a listen and let me know what you think. I’m liking her upbeat attitude about a subject we can all relate to from the first line, which is “I been walking on eggshells around you lately….” Yes, yes, I can relate! The song is What Am I Gonna Do? Comparisons have been made . . . Mary Chapin-Carpenter, Gillian Welch, Lucinda Williams. . .I think I’ll listen to Donna Dean some more and get back to you on this.
Gracey Slacker Country USA
And the winner is...Donna Dean!
Here at APRA we are proud to announce the winner of the 2011 APRA Best Country Music Song Award, who topped the award with her song "What Am I Gonna Do?". To second that she also took the prize for the RIANZ Best Country Music Album. Opening for the likes Don McLean of American Pie fame and having had her creativity being likened to that of Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen, now Donna Dean has taken out the nation’s two highest honours in country music writing and recording. ‘What Am I Gonna Do?’ is Donna Dean’s first album since 2002. She is swiftly gaining international acclaim, her material has been translated into French and she has toured Germany bi-annually since 1998. Donna has also worked alongside an impressive list of America's song writing legends including Don McLean, Russell Smith & The Amazing Rhythm Aces, Willie Nelson and Jimmy Webb. Donna has personally financed every album she’s recorded by working in low paid jobs. She also has 20 years of volunteer work to her credit including Refugee Resettlement in Auckland and distributing food to homeless shelters in London. The liner notes to Donna’s album tell a story of a woman who has had her fair share of challenges and triumphs - leaving home at 15, children, marriage, divorce and then growing success on the country music scene. Referencing such a background, Donna’s songs become “snap shots of observation of the human condition” according to her bio information from the best country album award entry. Her writing broaches co-dependency, dementia, long distance relationships, deceit, gratitude and more in “day-to-day events we all relate to”.
All 10 original tracks on ‘What Am I Gonna Do?’ are written and performed by Donna Dean and were recorded at Hill Street Studio in the Auckland suburb of Onehunga. Guest musician on the album is Bill Chambers from Australia and it has been released by Ode Records.
