Life & Work with Donny Van Slee of Nashville, TN

Today we’d like to introduce you to Donny Van Slee.

Hi Donny, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My dad bought me my first guitar in middle school. The first song I learned was “Free Fallin’” by Tom Petty, mostly because he’s my mom’s favorite artist and I wanted to play something for her. That was really the beginning of it.

I grew up on the west coast of Florida in a small town called Weeki Wachee and started playing anywhere that would have me. Restaurants, tiki huts, breweries. It was never anything polished. Just a guitar, a few songs, and singing in front of people to help pay for living expenses while I was in college.

After high school, I stayed with music, but I also chose a more stable path. I moved to Daytona Beach to attend Palmer College of Chiropractic and played shows on the weekends while going through school. For a while, I was kind of doing both, trying to balance something practical with something I cared about.

The turning point came on a road trip. I was driving from Florida to Colorado for a chiropractic internship when I passed through Nashville, and it honestly caught me off guard. I didn’t really have a plan, I just felt something about the place.

So I started emailing bars downtown without really expecting anything to come from it. Most of them never responded. One did, Tootsies Orchid Lounge. They gave me a shot and offered me an audition.

On my way back to Florida to graduate, I stopped in Nashville, played the audition, and they hired me. That was the biggest turning point in my life. Instead of opening a chiropractic practice in Florida, I moved to Nashville and started playing in the honky tonks.

I moved to Nashville and started playing, writing, and learning as much as I could, while still keeping chiropractic afloat. At 30, I went on The Voice, and Reba McEntire turned her chair for me. That was another big moment for me.

Being on the show gave me the push to go full time. I already believed in what I was doing, but having Reba believe in me too meant a lot. By 32, I retired my chiropractic license and went all in.

Since then, I’ve just been figuring it out as I go. Writing songs, recording songs, playing shows around Nashville, meeting people, and learning through a lot of trial and error.

To keep the fire going, I read a lot about songwriting and spend time learning from artists who’ve done this for a long time. Right now I’m reading Shakey: Neil Young’s Biography, and it’s been helpful to see how long and unpredictable this kind of path can be.

The goal is to ultimately headline a show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, I really miss my family in Florida. But there’s no other place I’d rather be than in Nashville.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Right now, most of my work comes from a different place than it used to. Over time, I’ve come to understand who I am more clearly through my faith in Christ, and that’s changed the way I see a lot of things, including the music.

When I was working all the time in chiropractic, life felt more rushed and structured. I don’t think I was paying attention in the same way. Since stepping away from that and slowing things down, I’ve had more space to read the Bible, reflect, and see things differently. That’s shaped not just how I write, but how I live day to day.

The songs now feel more like an extension of that. I’m not trying to force anything, just letting things come together in a way that feels right. I’m just trying to be honest about what I’m seeing, what I’m learning, and what I believe.

I write and record a lot, and that’s been my full-time focus. Right now I’m working on an album, so most of my time is going there. I’ve slowed down on playing live shows so I can really give the songs the attention they need.

A lot of the growth for me has come from the quieter side of things. Spending time in the Word, thinking, and trying to stay grounded in that has shaped the way I approach the music more than anything else.

What I’m most proud of is just continuing to move forward in a way that feels aligned. I don’t always get it right, but I’m trying to stay consistent and keep growing in both my faith and the music.

As far as what sets me apart, I don’t really think about it that way. I think everyone’s just walking their own path. For me, I’m just trying to stay rooted in what I believe and let that naturally shape whatever comes out of it.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Probably passion and persistence. Once I commit to something, I stay with it. I have a strong drive to see things through, and my faith helps keep me grounded along the way. I think consistency over time has made the biggest difference.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://donnyvansleemusic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donnyvanslee/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/donnyvansleemusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@donnyvanslee
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/532FbMLuGynYoxyImsK2y1

Image Credits
@aa_takesphotos