Donny O. Collins

"Thank you, Lord, what a difference in my life" and "Lord, bring me close to You"—these simple lines summarize the message in the music of Donny Oliver Collins and his songs about faith, hope, love, and his relationship with God. His smooth and comforting baritone voice expresses reassurance as he plays the piano with the tenderness of cuddling a newborn baby. "I hope to create music that will help people relax, and be happy, hopeful and encouraged," Donny says.

Donny, a resident of Statesboro, Georgia, for the past twenty five years, is originally from Tattnall County, Georgia. "My earliest memories of music go back to when I was about three and saw Elvis from Hawaii on TV," Donny says. When he was fourteen, Donny started getting involved with piano and music technology. At fifteen, Donny and his sister, Elaine, started performing at various events throughout southeast Georgia, and they continue performing together today.

Donny became interested in writing songs at nineteen. "I had worked with someone at the time putting down tracks for a song they had written, and that encouraged me to write my own," he explains. Like many writers, his early songs were about love. His first song, "A Friend", follows someone discovering that friendship had grown into love. "I Never Knew", his second song, explains how someone can discover love they didn’t expect to find. Donny’s original music from the 90’s reflects influences from country, pop, and R&B. "Writing songs came in cycles. I’d get motivated and write a lot, and then I’d go for quite some time without writing at all. Most of my songs were not from experience, but from observation. It was a fun and creative thing to do that was very satisfying, and it still is today."

As Donny’s songwriting and musical talents matured, his musical talents shifted. By the mid 2000’s, Donny began to turn more attention to writing and producing inspirational music. "Everyone experiences troubles and fears, so I decided to write about my own, and how God provided strength to me through those times." His song "Thank You Lord" is about this theme. "Bring Me Close To You" expresses the desire to be close to God when faced with problems. "That’s a song I can really identify with, as I believe many people can. I’m never perfect, so striving for faith in God to help me overcome my weaknesses and give me encouragement is important."

Donny continues to actively write, produce, and perform today. "I write whatever kind of music I’m in the mood for, and it’s wonderful to have that freedom. A good song is a good song and the genre it falls into is largely determined by how it’s performed and produced. I enjoy writing dance tunes, electronic music and acoustic piano instrumentals in addition to my earlier music of ballads and songs with a country music influence. I love it all and hope to continue to share it with as many people I can. It’s a thrill and privilege to be able to write and produce music and immediately share it with the world. Everything in my life is better when I take time to write music and use the talent I’ve been blessed with."