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Donna Holman

Featured Gretsch Player - January

Artist Bio

Donna’s current Gretsch gear.

Each month in 2021, we will be featuring a member of the worldwide Gretsch community as our spotlight “featured player” of the month!

The first featured guitar player of the year is Donna Holman. . .

Donna Holman has shared the stage with many major recording artists including Kid Rock, Rascal Flatts, and Travis Tritt. She writes and sings original songs and also performs a variety of classic hits from Elton John, The Eagles, Diana Krall, Norah Jones, James Taylor, Etta James, and more. Donna performed the title track from her new CD Cool Water live on Fox TV2 Detroit and was a featured guest on Michigan’s own Celebrate Michigan syndicated TV series.

Chrysler Corporation has featured Donna in several promotions for her music and her original song “This Old Jeep.”  WCSX (94.7 FM-Detroit) and other major radio stations are playing Donna’s original songs on the radio.  She has performed live several times on the radio, including on the nationally-syndicated Mitch Albom Show.

While living in Nashville, Donna co-wrote and recorded with noted singer/songwriters including Mark Gray, who wrote “The Closer You Get” and “Take Me Down” for Alabama.

Pandora radio selected Donna to be one of their recording artists on their famous international radio station.  Listen and comment on Donna’s station at:  www.pandora.com/donna_lee_holman

We asked Donna . . .

How old were you when you knew you were interested in becoming a musician?
I was 16 when I started to play guitar and sing.

Why did you choose Gretsch?
I love the country rockabilly twangy sound and Bigsby pickups. They are also in my opinion the prettiest guitars. I love your color choices. The playability is also a big plus for me.

What Gretsch gear do you currently use?
I am a professional working musician and I perform live with the two Gretsch Electromatics that I own. I have a double cutaway in white and a single cutaway in blue.

Which musicians were the biggest influence on you and why?
Wynonna Judd was the first live music concert I went to at 16 years old. She influenced me to perform. I loved her voice and it inspired me to find my voice as a musician. I also like jazz musician Diana Krall and 80s musicians like Brian Setzer from the Stray Cats.

How did you adjust and stay musical during the COVID-19 pandemic?
I perform at a lot of golf and country clubs in southwest Florida. I was still able to practice social distancing and continue to perform live. I also spent time in my personal recording studio, Sunset Toast, recording some new singles that I’ve been releasing. So I’ve continued to stay active with my music.

You could be featured in 2021 just like Donna.  Click to find out how!

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