Imagine being a Bright Eyed Six year old tyke and you are free as a bird. You close your eyes, hold the microphone in your hand and began to belt out perfectly pitched vocals and riffs. That is exactly what Danielle Roberson was accustomed to doing.
Born in California and reared in Arkansas and Michigan, Danielle never dreamed of being a writer. She vividly recalls, “I never thought of being a playwright. I wanted to sing and that was my dream.” As we all know, life is riddled with changes and Danielle was being prepared for something greater than anything she could ever imagine.
“I have been singing since I was a little girl and I loved every minute of it, I still do”, exclaims Danielle. The daughter of a Baptist preacher, she has been surrounded with awesome singers who could turn a crowd on its ear. Her family is riddled with talented singers, so it is not shocking that prim and proper Danielle began to show signs of becoming a force to be reckoned with.
She credits her mother and father for raising her to appreciate the bible for what it is and not for a denomination. “Many times, we can get caught up in the hype of religion but it’s truly about a relationship with the Lord, she states.
As Danielle grew she continued her quest as a gifted and talented singer. She has worked with a plethora of artist including: Angie Stone,El Debarge, Vanessa Williams, Dave Hollister, Dottie Peoples, Tamika Scott of R & B Group Escape and Gospel Giant Fred Hammond just to name a few .
It was during a run in the stage play entitled ISSUES by Laterras Whitfield, that Danielle received her ephinany. She excitedly states, “God immediately showed me that all the challenges that I had suffered throughout my life had brought me full circle.” From singing to being a flight attendant, she had experience every victory and loss that one could fathom.
In early 2006, Danielle then realized that her life had truly changed course. She began writing a script that dealt with the honest portrayal of the life of a preacher. Promotional material bills the show as a riveting and realistic portrayal of life in a pastor’s family.
“It’s about the pastoral family ... the base of it is not even in the church; it’s really their house—what they actually go through when preaching is over, when meetings are over.” The play shows the pastor trying to spread the “good news of the Lord,” Roberson said, while meeting domestic duties as well. “I really wanted to highlight the pastor in a positive way and keep him consistent in a positive way,” said Roberson.
She said it’s very similar to what she lived and saw growing up as a pastor’s child. Roberson, who gives back to the community by working with young women proudly states, “We as women must show the younger generation of women that self worth is key.”
Often, being a playwright/writer can be challenging, due to certain restrictions that are placed on the writer. Danielle declares that she has been there on many occasions, “It is hard to hear God when your dreams fill your thoughts. I had to stop leaning to my own understanding and let God lead my steps daily.”
In the past months Roberson has been met with some resistance, “Often promoters find it somewhat risky to get behind it simply because it deals with God and the Church as a whole”, says Roberson. However, Dani, as she is affectionately called, is determined to be a winner and it shines brightly.
Danielle, a woman small and petite in statue keeps a strong prayer life. She deals with stressful situations by staying prayerful and keeping a positive family unit around her. “It’s sometimes hard to listen to other people but it’s needed. So more than anything, I have to stay open-minded”, she humbly exclaims.
She is currently in the studio working on her next solo project and credits her father and singer Whitney Houston as her favorite artist to look to vocally.
Danielle Roberson is woman of Faith, Favor and Fierce Determination. But Most Importantly, SHE IS A ROLE MODEL AND LEGEND IN THE MAKING.
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