Gene Watson’s Peers within the country music industry believe in the sheer talent of this unassuming man from east Texas, so much so that Gene is regarded by many of them as ‘the singer’s singer’ – and rightly so!
All of Gene Watson’s Peers, who were contacted by The Gene Watson Fan Site, during 2009, were most gracious with their time and words.
It is here, within this special part of The Gene Watson Fan Site, that you have an opportunity to read a quote from Donna Ulisse, which she submitted to this site on Tuesday 11 August 2009.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to Donna Ulisse who made a special contribution to this unique part of this online ‘celebration of a Lone Star Hero’.
Donna Ulisse
This quote was submitted on Tuesday 11 August 2009.
‘As I was growing up and learning to hone my own country / bluegrass style of writing and singing, I leaned heavily on the greats, one of which is Gene Watson.
Gene approaches a country song the way any master of his craft would, with a passionate delivery to every tune he sinks his teeth into.
He moves me every time I hear him!
When Gene Watson cuts a song, there is a real strong possibility it will live on through the ages…that’s the stamp he places on a songwriter’s creation.
I think part of me uses his voice in my head when I write a country song so…THANK YOU, Gene!’
Thank you, Donna Ulisse, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Donna Ulisse…
Donna Ulisse (pronounced ‘you-liss-ee’) was born in Hampton, Virginia; surrounded by a musical family, she made her first appearance singing at the tender age of three when she wandered onto the stage with a bluegrass band and broke out into ‘Take This Hammer’.
From that moment on, there was never any doubt that Donna Ulisse would be creating music. Donna Ulisse worked in a local western swing band where she met and married Rick Stanley, being fully indoctrinated into a bluegrass family when Rick’s cousin, Ralph Stanley (Friday 25 February 1927 – Thursday 23 June 2016), along with The Clinch Mountain Boys, performed at their wedding reception.
As a teenager, Donna Ulisse sang in a western swing band.
In the 1980s, Donna Ulisse moved to Nashville and stayed busy singing demos for publishers and writers.
Donna Ulisse quickly became an in-demand demo singer and background vocalist, lending her voice to recordings by country music legends, including Jerry Reed (Saturday 20 March 1937 – Monday 1 September 2008).
Donna Ulissse has had a busy life as a respected vocalist behind the scenes with her first session as a young background singer being for a Jerry Reed (Saturday 20 March 1937 – Monday 1 September 2008) album and finding out at the last minute that Jerry Reed preferred to sing around the microphone with the singers. It was a wonderfully unnerving experience for the young Donna Ulisse.
A production deal with Dale Morris, manager of the super-group, Alabama, led to Donna Ulisse signing a recording deal with Atlantic Records.
On Tuesday 29 October 1991, Donna Ulisse saw the release of her well-received traditional country music debut album, ‘Trouble At The Door’ (Atlantic Records, 1991), which included three tracks, which were released as singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart:
‘Things Are Mostly Fine’ (written by John Adrian) (No.75, 1991)
‘When Was The Last Time’ (written by Buck Moore and Frank Myers) (No.66, 1991)
‘Trouble At The Door’, which was written by Kerry Michael Chater (Tuesday 7 August 1945 – Tuesday 1 February 2022) and Lynn Gillespie Chater / this track was released as a single in 1992, but it did not chart
Donna Ulisse’s debut album, ‘Trouble At The Door’ (Atlantic Records, 1991), also included the following tracks:
‘Fire In An Old Flame’s Eyes’, which was written by Bob McDill and Jim Weatherly (Wednesday 17 March 1943 – Wednesday 3 February 2021)
‘Guess Who’s Back In Town’ (written by Ernie Rowell)
‘Fall Apart With You’ (written by John Adrian)
‘My Broken Heart’s Breaking All Over Again’ (written by John Adrian and Tim Morris)
You Always Take Her Memory Out On Me’ (written by R.C. Bannon)
‘Out of Sight, Out of Mind’ (written by Ray Buzzeo)
‘Legend In My Heart’ (written by John Adrian)
Personnel involved in the recording of Donna Ulisse’s debut album, ‘Trouble At The Door’ (Atlantic Records, 1991), included the following:
Carol Chase, Curtis Young, Dennis Wilson, Doug Clements, Jana King, Jim Ferguson and Rick Stanley (background vocals)
Bob Wray (bass)
Steve Brewster (drums)
David Briggs (keyboards)
Brent Rowan and Kenneth Mims (lead guitar)
Hargus ‘Pig’ Robbins (Tuesday 18 January 1938 – Sunday 30 January 2022) (acoustic piano)
Dan Parks and Kenny Bell (rhythm guitar)
Doyle Grisham (steel guitar)
DHowever, despite critical acclaim, Donna Ulisse’s debut album, ‘Trouble At The Door’ (Atlantic Records, 1991), failed to generate widespread attention, although it remains a worldwide favourite today among discerning fans of fine traditional country music.
Following the release of Donna Ulisse’s ‘Trouble At The Door’ (Atlantic Records, 1991), Donna appeared on the American network television show ‘Hot Country Nights’, and was a guest on ‘Hee Haw’, ‘Nashville Now’ and ‘Crook & Chase’.
In 1999, when renowned country songwriter, Glenn Sutton (Tuesday 28 September 1937 – Tuesday 17 April 2007) was inducted into The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, it was Donna Ulisse who was called upon to sing some of his hits recorded by Tammy Wynette (Tuesday 5 May 1942 – Monday 6 April 1998) and Lynn Anderson (Friday 26 September 1947 – Thursday 30 July 2015) for the who’s who of the music industry crowd and she brought the house down.
After her Atlantic Records deal ended, Donna Ulisse turned her focus to songwriting, amassing a high-quality catalogue which often leaned toward bluegrass and mountain music, especially when she wrote alone.
That observation by her publisher, Hadley Music Group, led to the recording of ‘When I Look Back’ (Hadley Music Group, 2007), the inaugural release of Hadley’s own independent record label; the album, which was released on Friday 27 July 2011, was produced by noted singer, songwriter and guitarist Keith Sewell, and included the following tracks:
‘I’m Calling Heaven Down’ (written by Marc Rossi and Donna Ulisse) / this track won ‘Top Bluegrass Song’ at The Just Plain Folks Awards in 2009
‘The Walls Cry’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
‘My Prayer’ (written by Rick Stanley and Donna Ulisse)
‘She Needs Time’ (written by Marc Rossi and Donna Ulisse)
‘When I Look Back’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
‘Gone’ (written by Rick Stanley and Donna Ulisse)
‘He Ain’t That’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
‘Heartbreak River’ (written by Marc Rossi and Donna Ulisse)
‘I Want To Grow Old With You’ (written by Claire Davidson and Donna Ulisse)
‘Doin’ Time’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
‘She Goes Sailing’, which was written by Kerry Michael Chater (Tuesday 7 August 1945 – Tuesday 1 February 2022), Lynn Gillespie Chater and Donna Ulisse
‘I Am A Child of God’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
‘He’s Still A Believer’ (written by Rick Stanley and Donna Ulisse)
‘If I Were’ (written by Rick Stanley and Donna Ulisse)
Keith Sewell’s highly acclaimed debut album, ‘Love Is A Journey’ (Skaggs Family Records, 2005), included the following tracks:
‘Love Is A Journey’ (written by Keith Sewell and Wendy Waldman)
‘Shambles’ (written by Keith Sewell and Wendy Waldman)
‘Sawdust Hill’ (written by Keith Sewell)
‘Ripples On The Water’ (written by Keith Sewell)
‘We Go Around’ (written by Keith Sewell and Wendy Waldman)
‘A Man Out of Me’ (written by Keith Sewell)
‘Duncan Station’ (written by Keith Sewell)
‘Tell Me Again’ (written by Keith Sewell)
‘Love Is’ (written by Keith Sewell)
‘Back Where We Belong’ (written by Keith Sewell)
‘Misery & Happiness’ (written by Keith Sewell)
‘When Love Came Down’ (written by Jerry Salley and Keith Sewell)
Personnel involved in the recording of Donna Ulisse’s ‘When I Look Back’ (Hadley Music Group, 2007) included the following:
Keith Sewell (acoustic guitar)
Carl Jackson, Curtis Wright, Donna Ulisse, Keith Sewell, Larry Cordle, Rick Stanley and Wendy Buckner Sewell (background vocals)
Scott Vestal (banjo)
Byron House (bass)
Andy Leftwich (fiddle)
Donna Ulisse (lead vocals)
Andy Leftwich and Jesse Cobb (mandolin)
Randy Kohrs (resonator guitar, Dobro)
John Mock (penny whistle, concertina, harmonium)
Wendy Sewell and Rick Stanley (guest vocalists)
Donna Ulisse’s ‘When I Look Back’ (Hadley Music Group, 2007) was enthusiastically received by radio and fans.
As her first bluegrass release was catching on, Donna Ulisse stayed busy doing some select dates and focused on making sure she was writing enough new tunes for a follow-up album at the request of her record label.
In March 2008, Donna Ulisse went back into the recording studio with producer Keith Sewell to start the recording process once again, with the final result being ‘Walk This Mountain Down’ (Hadley Music Group, 2009), a new collection of self-penned tunes with an all-star cast of players and guests.
It was also at this time, in March 2008, when Donna Ulisse formed her own band, ‘The Poor Mountain Boys’.
Natasha Borzilova recorded Donna Ulisse’s ‘Cheap Escape’ (co-written with Natasha Borzilova) and included the track on ‘Cheap Escape’ (Hadley Music Group, 2008).
On Tuesday 20 January 2009, Donna Ulisse saw the release of ‘Walk This Mountain Down’ (Hadley Music Group, 2009), which included the following tracks:
‘In My Wildest Dreams’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
Personnel involved in Donna Ulisse’s recording of ‘In My Wildest Dreams’ included the following:
Keith Sewell (acoustic guitar)
Curtis Wright (backing vocals)
Scott Vestal (banjo)
Rob Ickes (Dobro)
Byron House (double bass, upright bass)
Andy Leftwich (mandolin)
‘Poor Mountain Boy’ (written by Rick Stanley and Donna Ulisse)
Personnel involved in Donna Ulisse’s recording of ‘Poor Mountain Boy‘ included the following:
Keith Sewell (acoustic guitar)
Keith Sewell and Rick Stanley (backing vocals)
Scott Vestal (banjo)
Rob Ickes (Dobro)
Byron House (double bass, upright bass)
Andy Leftwich (fiddle, mandolin)
‘Dust To Dust’ (written by Marc Rossi)
Personnel involved in Donna Ulisse’s recording of ‘Dust To Dust‘ included the following:
Keith Sewell (acoustic guitar)
Claire Lynch and Keith Sewell (backing vocals)
Scott Vestal (banjo)
Rob Ickes (Dobro)
Byron House (double bass, upright bass)
Andy Leftwich (mandolin)
‘Love’s Crazy Train’ (written by Richard Leigh and Donna Ulisse)
Personnel involved in Donna Ulisse’s recording of ‘Love’s Crazy Train‘ included the following:
Keith Sewell (acoustic guitar, backing vocals)
Scott Vestal (banjo)
Rob Ickes (Dobro)
Byron House (double bass, upright bass)
Andy Leftwich (fiddle, mandolin)
‘Walk This Mountain Down’ (written by Rick Stanley and Donna Ulisse) / this track remained on the Bluegrass Unlimited Chart for six months and, in June 2009, Donna Ulisse was the No.1 artist on Sirius XM Satellite Radio’s ‘Bluegrass Junction’
Personnel involved in Donna Ulisse’s recording of ‘Walk This Mountain Down‘ included the following:
Keith Sewell (acoustic guitar)
Jerry Salley and Keith Sewell (backing vocals)
Scott Vestal (banjo)
Rob Ickes (Dobro)
Byron House (double bass, upright bass)
Andy Leftwich (mandolin)
‘The Trouble With You’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
Personnel involved in Donna Ulisse’s recording of ‘The Trouble With You‘ included the following:
Keith Sewell (acoustic guitar)
Keith Sewell and Rick Stanley (backing vocals)
Scott Vestal (banjo)
Rob Ickes (Dobro)
Byron House (double bass, upright bass)
Andy Leftwich (mandolin)
‘Child of The Great Depression’ (written by Marc Rossi and Donna Ulisse)
Personnel involved in Donna Ulisse’s recording of ‘Child of The Great Depression‘ included the following:
Keith Sewell (acoustic guitar, backing vocals)
Scott Vestal (banjo)
Rob Ickes (Dobro)
Byron House (double bass, upright bass)
Andy Leftwich (fiddle, mandolin)
‘The Key’ (written by Rick Stanley and Donna Ulisse)
Personnel involved in Donna Ulisse’s recording of ‘The Key‘ included the following:
Keith Sewell (acoustic guitar)
Keith Sewell and Rick Stanley (backing vocals)
Scott Vestal (banjo)
Rob Ickes (Dobro)
Byron House (double bass, upright bass)
Andy Leftwich (mandolin)
‘Lovin’ Every Minute’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
Personnel involved in Donna Ulisse’s recording of ‘Lovin’ Every Minute‘ included the following:
Keith Sewell (acoustic guitar)
Keith Sewell and Rick Stanley (backing vocals)
Scott Vestal (banjo)
Rob Ickes (Dobro)
Byron House (double bass, upright bass)
Andy Leftwich (mandolin)
‘I Lied’ (written by Rick Stanley and Donna Ulisse) / this track was No.1 on five different occasions during 2009
Personnel involved in Donna Ulisse’s recording of ‘I Lied‘ included the following:
Keith Sewell (acoustic guitar)
Jerry Salley and Keith Sewell (backing vocals)
Scott Vestal (banjo)
Rob Ickes (Dobro)
Byron House (double bass, upright bass)
Andy Leftwich (mandolin)
‘These Troubles’ (written by Marc Rossi and Donna Ulisse)
Personnel involved in Donna Ulisse’s recording of ‘These Troubles’ included the following:
Keith Sewell (acoustic guitar)
Keith Sewell and Wendy Buckner Sewell (backing vocals)
Scott Vestal (banjo)
Rob Ickes (Dobro)
Byron House (double bass, upright bass)
Andy Leftwich (mandolin)
‘Everything Has Changed’ (written by Rick Stanley and Donna Ulisse)
Personnel involved in Donna Ulisse’s recording of ‘Everything Has Changed’ included the following:
Keith Sewell (acoustic guitar)
Curtis Wright, Donna Ulisse, Keith Sewell and Rick Stanley (backing vocals)
Scott Vestal (banjo)
Rob Ickes (Dobro)
Byron House (double bass, upright bass)
Andy Leftwich (mandolin)
‘Levi Stone’ (written by Marc Rossi and Donna Ulisse) / this track featured harmony vocals from Claire Lynch
Personnel involved in Donna Ulisse’s recording of ‘Levi Stone’ included the following:
Keith Sewell (acoustic guitar)
Claire Lynchand Keith Sewell (harmony vocals)
Scott Vestal (banjo)
Rob Ickes (Dobro)
Byron House (double bass, upright bass)
Andy Leftwich (mandolin)
Claire Lynch recorded Donna Ulisse’s ‘Face To Face’ (co-written with Claire Lynch) and included the track on ‘Whatcha Gonna Do’ (Rounder Records, 2009).
Louise Mosrie recorded Donna Ulisse’s ‘Home’ (co-written with Donna Ulisse) and included the track on ‘Home’ (Zoe Cat Music, 2010); this album was the No.1 Folk album in the United States in January 2010.
Louise Mosrie recorded Donna Ulisse’s ‘Don’t Come Lookin’ For Me’ (co-written with Donna Ulisse) and included the track on ‘Home’ (Zoe Cat Music, 2010); this album was the No.1 Folk album in the United States in January 2010.
On Tuesday 20 April 2010, Donna Ulisse saw the release of ‘Holy Waters’ (Hadley Music Group, 2010), which was produced by guitarist, Keith Sewell, and included the following tracks:
‘Caney Creek To Canaan Land’
‘He Will’
‘This Crazy World’
‘To My Soul I Do’
‘Holy Waters’
‘Who You Need To Know’
‘A Promise That He Made’
‘Cover Me’
‘High In The Sky’
‘Who Will Sing For Me’
‘New Day In Heaven’
‘Lord, I’m Yours’
‘My Jesus’
Personnel involved in the recording of Donna Ulisse’s ‘Holy Waters’ (Hadley Music Group, 2010) included the following:
Scott Vestal (banjo)
Byron House (upright bass)
Rob Ickes (Dobro)
Andy Leftwich (fiddle, mandolin)
Keith Sewell (guitar)
Keith Sewell, Rick Stanley and Wendy Buckner Sewell (harmony vocals)
Darin & Brooke Aldridge recorded Donna Ulisse’s ‘It Moves Me’ (co-written with Jerry Salley) and included the track on ‘Darin & Brooke Aldridge’ (Crossroads Records, 2010); the album was produced by Jerry Salley.
On Tuesday 14 June 2011, Donna Ulisse saw the release of ‘An Easy Climb’ (Hadley Music Group, 2011), which was produced by Keith Sewell and included the following tracks:
‘Let It Rain’
‘Hand Me Down Home’
‘I’ve Got Nothin’
‘Crawlin’ Back’
‘An Easy Climb’
‘Black Snake’
‘Her Heart Is A Stone Hard Ground’
‘Lonesome Without You’
‘Where The Cold Wind Blows’
‘Flat Broke In Arkansas’
‘Banks of Roane River’
‘Faith Is A Journey’
‘Shady Glen’
Personnel involved in the recording of Donna Ulisse’s ‘An Easy Climb’ (Hadley Music Group, 2011) included the following:
Keith Sewell (acoustic guitar)
Scott Vestal (banjo)
Rob Ickes (Dobro)
Viktor Krauss (upright bass)
Andy Leftwich (mandolin, fiddle)
Keith Sewell, Rick Stanley, Greg Davis, Tony King and Jon Martin (harmony vocals)
Nu-Blu recorded Donna Ulisse’s ‘That’s How I’m Supposed To Be’ (co-written with Marc Rossi) and included the track on ‘The Blu Disc’ (Pinecastle Records, 2011).
Nu-Blu recorded Donna Ulisse’s ‘Guitar Case’ (co-written with Marc Rossi) and included the track on ‘The Blu Disc’ (Pinecastle Records, 2011).
The Bankesters recorded Donna Ulisse’s ‘Give Me This Day’, which was co-written with Kerry Michael Chater (Tuesday 7 August 1945 – Tuesday 1 February 2022) and Lynn Gillespie Chater, and included the track on ‘The Bankesters’ (Blue Circle Records, 2011).
In 2012, Donna Ulisse Ulisse was nominated for the International Bluegrass Music Association’s ‘Songwriter of The Year’ Award.
On Tuesday 23 October 2012, Donna Ulisse saw the release of ‘All The Way To Bethlehem’ (Hadley Music Group, 2012), a stunningly original song cycle relating the story of Christ’s birth, which included the following tracks:
‘I See The Light of The World’
‘You Will Be Delivered’
‘Elisabeth’
‘He’s Not Mine’
‘All The Way To Bethlehem’ / this track featured guest vocals from Rick Stanley
‘You Cannot Stay Here’
‘Let The World Wait For A Little While’
‘He Is Here’
‘I’m Gonna Shine’
‘We’ve Come To Worship Him’
‘Morning In Bethlehem’
Personnel involved in the recording of Donna Ulisse’s ‘All The Way to Bethlehem’ (Hadley Music Group, 2012) included the following:
Keith Sewell and John Mock (guitar)
Andy Leftwich (fiddle)
Viktor Krauss and Byron House (upright bass)
Rob Ickes (Dobro)
Wendy Buckner Sewell, Ana Sewell and Rick Stanley (harmony vocals)
On Thursday 25 July 2013, Donna Ulisse saw the release of ‘I Am A Child of God: A Gospel Collection’ (Hadley Music Group, 2013), which included the following tracks:
‘I Am A Child of God’
‘Walk This Mountain Down’
‘Wait A Little Longer Please Jesus’
‘I want To Grow Old With You’
‘Everything Has Changed’
‘My Prayer’
‘Faith Is A Journey’
‘The Key’
‘This Is My Father’s World’ / this track featured harmony vocals from The Isaacs
‘I’m Calling Heaven Down’
Personnel involved in the recording of Donna Ulisse’s ‘I am a Child of God: A Gospel Collection’ (Hadley Music Group, 2013) included the following:
Keith Sewell and Bryan Sutton (acoustic guitar)
Viktor Krauss and Byron House (upright bass)
Andy Leftwich (fiddle)
Rob Ickes and Randy Kohrs (Dobro)
Scott Vestal (banjo)
The Del McCoury Band recorded Donna Ulisse’s ‘Butler Brothers’ (co-written with Del McCoury) and included the track on ‘The Streets of Baltimore’ (McCoury Music Records, 2013).
Donna Ulisse and Jerry Salley meet with bluegrass icon Del McCoury in Raleigh, North Carolina at The International Bluegrass Music Awards in October 2013 and thank him for recording ‘Butler Brothers’ (written by Donna Ulisse and Jerry Salley)
‘Butler Brothers’ is a song about two brothers fighting on different sides in the American Civil War and the struggle of their mother having two sons in a war on opposing sides.
On Tuesday 15 October 2013, Donna Ulisse saw the release of ‘Showin’ My Roots’ (Hadley Music Group, 2013), which was co-produced by Donna Ulisse and acoustic guitar virtuoso, Bryan Sutton, and included the following tracks:
‘Showin’ My Roots’
‘One Way Rider’
‘Take This Hammer’ / this track was a duet with Sam Bush
‘How Mountain Girls Can Love’
‘If That’s The Way You Feel’, which was written by Ralph Stanley (Friday 25 February 1927 – Thursday 23 June 2016)
‘Fist City’ (written by Loretta Lynn (Thursday 14 April 1932 – Tuesday 4 October 2022)
‘In The Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad)’ (written by Dolly Parton)
‘Wait A Little Longer Please, Jesus’
‘Somebody Somewhere (Don’t Know What He’s Missing Tonight)’ (written by Lola Jean Dillon)
‘Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad’, which was written by Billy Sherrill (Thursday 5 November 1936 – Tuesday 4 August 2015) and Glenn Sutton (Tuesday 28 September 1937 – Tuesday 17 April 2007)
‘I Hope You Have Learned’
‘Send Me the Pillow You Dream On’, which was written by Hank Locklin (Friday 15 February 1918 – Sunday 8 March 2009)
‘I’ve Always Had A Song I Can Lean On’
Personnel involved in the recording of Donna Ulisse’s ‘Showin’ My Roots’ (Hadley Music Group, 2013) included the following:
Scott Vestal (banjo)
Rob Ickes (Dobro)
Andy Leftwich (mandolin, fiddle)
Viktor Krauss and Byron House (upright bass)
John Cowan, Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle, Fayssoux McLean, Larry Stephenson, Frank Solivan, Jerry Salley and Rick Stanley (harmony vocals)
Diana Jones recorded Donna Ulisse’s ‘Satan’ (co-written with Diana Jones) and included the track on ‘Museum of Appalachia Recordings’ (Proper Records, 2013).
In 2015, Donna Ulisse saw the release of ‘The Songwriter In Me: The Demo Recordings’ (Hadley Music Group, 2015), a companion CD to Donna’s book ‘The Songwriter In Me: Snapshots of My Creative Process’, which showcased recordings of the twenty-four songs which have lyrics in the book in a sparse acoustic setting:
‘He’s Still A Believer’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
‘The Walls Cry’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
‘Gone’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
‘If I Were’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
‘Papa’s Garden’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
‘Holy Waters’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
‘I Got A Home In Glory Land’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
‘Let It Rain’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
‘Hand Me Down Home’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
‘Shady Glen’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
‘Safe’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
‘The Man That I Am’ (written by Rick Stanley)
‘Banks of Roane River’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
‘An Easy Climb’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
‘Showin’ My Roots’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
‘The Sacrifice’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
‘The Trouble With You’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
‘I Am A Child of God’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
‘To My Soul I Do’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
‘Let The World Wait For A Little While’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
‘Come To Jesus Moment’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
‘We’re Gonna Find A Preacher’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
‘Wild & Free’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
‘I’m In For A Long Ride’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
Personnel involved in the recording of Donna Ulisse’s ‘The Songwriter In Me: The Demo Recordings’ (Hadley Music Group, 2015) included the following:
Bryan Sutton, Kenny Smith, Glen Duncan and Tony King (acoustic guitar, mandolin, fiddle)
Rick Stanley (harmony vocals)
In 2017, Donna Ulisse saw the release of ‘Breakin’ Easy’ (Mountain Home Music Company, 2017), which was produced by Doyle Lawson, and included the following tracks:
‘Without Trouble Please’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
‘Back Home Feelin’ Again’ (written by Donna Ulisse and Marc Rossi)
‘Drive This Cold Out of Me’ (written by Donna Ulisse and Rick Stanley)
‘A Little Past Lonely’ (written by Donna Ulisse and Marc Rossi)
‘Made For Each Other’ (written by Donna Ulisse and Rick Stanley)
‘Here Comes My Baby Back Again’, which was written by Dottie West (Tuesday 11 October 1932 – Wednesday 4 September 1991) and Bill West (1933 – Thursday 19 September 2013)
‘We Are Strong’ (written by Donna Ulisse and Rick Stanley)
‘Til I Fin’lly Let Go’ (written by Donna Ulisse and Rick Stanley)
‘I’m In A Hurry To Go Nowhere’ (written by Brandon Rickman and Kimberly Fox)
‘Whatever Winter Brings’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
‘Where My Mind Can Find Some Rest’ (written by Donna Ulisse and Rick Stanley)
‘We’ve Got The Love Thing Figured Out’ (written by Donna Ulisse)
Personnel involved in the recording of Donna Ulisse’s ‘Breakin’ Easy’ (Mountain Home Music Company, 2017) included the following:
Tim Surrett (acoustic bass)
Harry Clark (acoustic guitar, mandolin)
Rick Stanley (backing vocals)
Josh Swift (Dobro)
Tony Creasman (drums, percussion)
Greg ‘Papaw’ Davis (tenor guitar, banjo, backing vocals)
Donna Ulisse (lead vocals, backing vocals)
David Johnson (pedal steel guitar, fiddle)
On Friday 1 November 2019, Donna Ulisse saw the release of ‘Time For Love’ (Billy Blue Records, 2019), which was produced by Doyle Lawson, and included the following tracks:
‘When I Go All Bluegrass On You’
‘Heart of Rosine’
‘My Whole World Is Standing Still’
‘When We’ve Got Time For Love’
‘Come To Jesus Moment’
‘Seven Lonely Days’, which was written by Earl Shuman, Alden Shuman and Marshall Brown (1920 – 1983) / the original version of this track was recorded by Patsy Cline (Thursday 8 September 1932 – Tuesday 5 March 1963), who included it on ‘Showcase’ (United States: Decca Records, 1961 / United Kingdom: Brunswick Records, 1961 / New Zealand: Festival Records, 1961)
Following Patsy Cline’s death on Tuesday 5 March 1963, ‘Showcase’ (Decca Records, 1961) was re-released on Decca Records in 1963, and was re-issued in 1973 by MCA Records, which took over Decca Records in 1973, and was digitally remastered and re-released on CD, LP and cassette in 1988
‘Get On Home Boy’
‘A Little Less Gone’
‘Hi Lonesome’
‘Red Top Mountain Road’
‘I’m Not Afraid’
‘Magazine Rack’
‘I’ll Never Find Another You’, which was written by Tom Springfield (born Dionysius Patrick O’Brien) (Monday 2 July 1934 – Wednesday 27 July 2022) / the original version of this track was recorded, in 1965, by The Seekers – Judith Durham (Saturday 3 July 1943 – Friday 5 August 2022), Athol Guy, Keith Potger and Bruce Woodley – who included it on ‘The Best of The Seekers’ (Australia: Columbia Records, 1968), and reached the following chart positions:
Australia: No.1, 1965
US Hot 100: No.4, 1965
US Hot Contemporary: No.2, 1965
Republic of South Africa: No.16, 1965
United Kingdom Singles Chart: No.1, 1965
Irish Singles Chart: No.2, 1965
Canadian RPM Chart: No.3, 1965
• Visit Donna Ullisse’s official site at donnaulisse.com