A majority of musicians start their bio with… “I was born with a guitar in my hand,” or “I started singing at the age of 2.” Donna Beckham’s story is quite the opposite. She didn’t realize what she was getting into when she jokingly took the stage at the age of 19 to perform with high school buddies in search of a female singer for their band. She wasn’t nervous during that impromptu performance. “I like being in front of people and sharing my gift; I like the spotlight,” she admits. Being the youngest of 6, she was always seeking attention. On stage she gets just that.
Donna was not groomed for musical stardom. Her humble roots trace back to a 20-acre farm near Whiskey Hollow, Texas, which doesn’t appear on any state maps. There wasn’t much music at home until her 4 older brothers received a record player with a Waylon Jennings album one Christmas. It wasn’t until she joined the country/rock band “3DC” in 1999 that she began to experiment with different styles of music that was considered classic, yet new to the ears of someone who grew up mostly on country tunes. Donna’s ability to convincingly deliver a song whether country, rock or blues allows her versatility to shine; diversity that is typified by her influences: Waylon, Patsy, Loretta, Sheryl and Janis.
For 5 years, Donna and 3DC entertained to very receptive audiences all over the Lone Star State; however, she started craving more than just singing cover tunes. That desire was enough to trigger a 2005 move to Nashville where she recorded her first album, self-entitled Donna Beckham. Since then, she has recorded 4 more albums, including her latest, In The Meantime. She has won numerous singer-songwriter contests from Texas to Tennessee including Nashville Connection and was a Top 10 finalist in both Wildflower! and the famed Kerrville Folk Festival.
She leaves no bullets in her pistol. Her songs go a little further back than dirt roads; each one tells its own story, her story, our story. She is a country girl with a God-given talent who has persevered through both personal and musical hardships and rejection. She stands out in a field of Texas musicians as she is one of the few women who writes, sings and performs her own songs. Songs about dirt roads? Her songs are more about people on those dirt roads – their feelings, trials and tribulations – their lives.