Unbroken Spirit: JD Danner on Music, Pride, Perseverance, and the Magic of Connection
- Joanie Cox Henry
- 23 minutes ago
- 4 min read
By Joanie Cox Henry
For singer-songwriter JD Danner, music has never simply been a career. It's been a calling. Long before she was writing songs about resilience, self-discovery, and standing firm in your convictions, Danner was a little girl sitting beside a record player, singing along to Carole King's Tapestry and feeling the transformative power of music for the very first time. Today, that same passion fuels her performances, whether she's fronting a full band or sharing songs in an intimate acoustic setting.
On June 20, Danner will bring her signature blend of heartland rock, storytelling, and soul to the West Boynton Branch Library for a special Pride Month performance. Ahead of the show, she spoke with South Florida Concert News about the songs that mean the most to her, the artists who shaped her sound, and why authenticity remains her most meaningful message.
Your music has been described as blending Joan Jett's edge with Johnny Cash's grit. If Joan and Johnny showed up to your show, what song would you most want them to hear?
"If I have to pick one song for both of them, I would have to say "My Last Reason" because it's a rock song with guitar licks that lend themselves to a country feel."
You're performing for a Pride celebration at the library. What does Pride Month mean to you personally, and why are events like this important?
"I am always honored to play at Pride events because there is a real sense of love and community at these events. And it gives people a chance to live their truth out loud."
Libraries are all about stories. What's the story behind the song in your catalog that feels the most personal to you?
"Definitely my song, 'Almost Home' because the lyrics are about perseverance.
Having the inner strength to reinvent yourself through the losses in life without losing the joys in life in the process. And that's how I try to live."
If someone has never heard JD Danner before and can only listen to one song before the show, which song should they choose and why?
"My new song, 'Unbroken,' mostly because it's a song about not backing down for your beliefs and rising above the hard times. The passion in the lyrics and music make this song anthemic, and I love performing those types of songs because it really reaches the audience."
You have a wonderfully rebellious rock-and-roll spirit. What was the first album that made you think, "This is what I want to do with my life?"
"I wanted to perform music since I was five years old. I could feel the magic of how music reaches the soul and the senses. I used to listen to my older sister's album Tapestry by Carole King over and over, and I would sing the songs next to the record player and tap my little hand on the side of my leg."
Every performer has a pre-show ritual. Do you have any quirky traditions before you step on stage?
"I usually take a few minutes to ask God and the universe that I will sing the right words, hit the right notes, and play the right chords. I always strive to give the audience an amazing experience so they will go home still feeling the music."
If you could put together your dream concert lineup, living or dead, who would be the three artists sharing the bill with you?
"Wow, it is hard to pick just three! I would have to say Karen Carpenter, Janis Ian, and Stevie Nicks."
Your music draws from both rock and country influences. Are there any artists people would be surprised to learn have inspired you?
"Though it's not reflected in my original music, I love old-school R&B. I learned how to sing singing to the Stylistics, Roberta Flack, and Patti LaBelle."
What can audiences expect from your "Heartland Rock" performance at the library? Any surprises in store?
"I'm gonna play a few originals I don't play with the band and one Grateful Dead song for a friend who will be there that I have not seen in a while."
After all these years of writing, performing, and connecting with audiences, what still gives you that magical feeling when you walk out on stage?
"It's definitely the energy of the audience. There is a synergy between the artist and the audience that's unspoken and to use the word again — magical. As an artist and performer, you always want them leaving with a smile, dancing out the door. And as a songwriter, if they are singing the lyrics of your own songs, that's amazing."
Since we're celebrating at a library, I have to ask: What is your favorite book of all time, and what is it about that book that continues to stay with you?
"Well, two come to mind: Janis Ian's autobiography, Society's Child, and Elizabeth Gilbert's latest memoir, All the Way To The River. Both books tell stories of two women who overcame incredible trials in life and survived to tell the stories."
If you could send one message to a young LGBTQIA+ person who might be attending this event, what would you want them to hear?
"That message would definitely be to live life as who you truly are and don't worry about what anyone else thinks or feels about it because the people who love you are still gonna love you anyway. And also, other people don't think about us nearly as much as we think they do."
JD Danner's songs often explore resilience, reinvention, and finding strength in difficult seasons. It's fitting, then, that the artist points to perseverance as the thread connecting some of her most meaningful work. Whether she's singing about standing firm in your beliefs on "Unbroken" or navigating life's challenges in "Almost Home," her music offers listeners something increasingly valuable: encouragement to keep moving forward without losing sight of who they are.
Fans can catch JD Danner's "Heartland Rock" performance on June 20 from 2-3 p.m. at the West Boynton Branch Library as part of the library's Pride Month celebration.
Check out some of JD Danner's latest orginal music here:
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