Lady D...Biography
Born Donna Merle McIntyre on July 14, 1
946, in Houston, Texas, she grew up singing. Emulating her mother, a minister who used her vocal talents in church, the young Donna performed in various gospel groups. She began her professional singing career as Tha Lady D with her own group "Pride, Incorporated." Today, her music has a blues and soul flavor, but never far away from gospel.
Tha Lady D croons like Millie, bellows like Big Maybelle and howls like KoKo; yet she has developed her own style and sings from her heart, pulling the crowd in as she goes. She is known for her outrageous stage costumes, and is a very flamboyant entertainer. She wins her audiences over by belting out a barrage of blues classics, as well as her own hits that consistently pack the dance floors of Texas. She is rich in her abundance of love for her audiences and singing the blues. Trudy Lynn presented her an award for “Outstanding Performance" at the Aerial Theatre in Houston, Texas.
Her CD "True Blue", released in 2000 is a mere sampling of the down-home blues dished out at a Lady D show. She co-wrote 5 of the songs for this project. Including the hits “Po’ Girl Blues” and “Better off Alone”, her answer to BB Kings’ “The Thrill is Gone”. She is one of the busiest blues singers in Houston.
Tha Lady D was one of three featured artists in the "Houston Ladies Blues Legends" tour throughout Italy in 1997. She is a regular guest on Houston radio shows, and many magazine and newspaper articles have been written about her. She is honored by being included in the history of Houston Blues book "Down in Houston, Bayou City Blues."
Lady D headlines her own show and performs throughout the United States and has appeared with artists such as Bobby "Blue" Bland, Clarence Green, Grady Gaines, Lorelle White, Trudy Lynn, Little Milton, and the late Buddy Ace.
She occasionally shows her acting talents by performing in the "The Moaning Bench", a spiritual drama and other music related events such as “Big Walter’s Wedding”, a skit written by Big Walter the Thunderbird, for his 90th birthday party at the Continental Club in Houston. Lady D and Trudy Lynn helped Big Walter bring down the house in this musical love triangle.
As a speaker in the "Texas Blues: A Retrospective Series" at Montgomery County College in Houston, she shares with students her experiences singing the blues. She is very giving with an abundance of energy and donates countless hours to charitable benefits.