Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Darla Zuhdi. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Darla, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
When I first began writing, I was in my 20s. Four books were published in a series I wrote for kids aged seven and up called The Cat Detectives. I loved writing and often would immerse myself in the story as I was writing. This was when I realized I was a writer. I could feel myself becoming the story. Plus, I wanted to create moral, inspiring, funny, and entertaining stories for adults and children. As time went on, I wrote poetry. One morning, I woke up with a melody that went with a poem I had written. This became my first song “Why’d You Go” which I performed when I opened for Willie Nelson in 2005. As time went by, and my musical career continued, which included starring in three public television specials and performing live in Vegas and elsewhere, I became more dedicated to developing my vocal and writing skills, while continuing to create only wholesome, quality entertainment. I was asked by Dr. Christiaan Barnard (who did the first heart transplant in the world) to turn a book he had written into a script. I did that, but I cleaned it up so much, it was kind of like a medical Hallmark movie on steroids. I also had an agent once who, after I sent him a script, accepted me as a client, and told me he wanted it my script to have R-rated components and that I needed to “shorten the scenes, no one wants dialogue.” He sent me several scripts to read which I promptly threw in the trash and never spoke to him again. You see, I believe that there is a market for people who want high-quality entertainment that isn’t sex filled, violent, or vulgar. Movies that are the Nick and Nora Charles (The Thin Man) film noirs of the day and music that stirs your soul, but isn’t filled with foul language. So that is what I believe is my purpose. My purpose is to make beautiful music that inspires and moves the soul. As far as writing goes, to create movies with wonderful family-oriented content.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My husband Bill and I began our career in entertainment when our company produced Frank Sinatra in concert in multiple cities in the United States in the 1980s. I have always loved music and it was a thrill to study Sinatra on stage and learn how he entertained and connected with an audience. When I opened for Willie Nelson in 2005, I was 42 years old. Fast forward to today, my career is still going strong. In June of 2023, I released a song I wrote called “To All the Gabbys in the World”, inspired by the true life tragic story of Gabby Petito and my newfound awareness of the global epidemic of domestic abuse. In writing this song, I wanted to inspire victims of domestic abuse to leave their abusive situations and start a new and better life. The song and music video, in which I wrote the script, has received over 45 International Awards. I’ve had interviews in Poland, Italy, and London, to name a few, besides domestically. During these interviews, that’s when I discovered how globally, domestic abuse is such a problem. From the feedback I’ve received, I am pleased to say that the song has inspired some people. I hope more to come! Most recently, I released another song called “Please Help Me Forgive,” which I wrote to help myself as well as people who are struggling with forgiving those who have done them wrong or lied about them. This song I hope inspires people to get rid of the weight in their souls when they have been wronged. Forgiveness is more of a personal journey and a conscious decision and when it happens, it’s as if an emotional weight is lifted. I will continue to write music that will inspire people. My next song is a country-western love song called “A Love Like This.” I will be releasing it in May of this year in honor of my 40th Wedding Anniversary! When I perform, it is an honor to do benefit concerts for organizations I believe in. I will be doing more live shows soon! I also have written a script for a fun family movie that is in pre production. Lots going on and thrilled about it.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The three most impactful qualities, skills, and areas of knowledge in my musical and writing journey to date have to be: 1) Believe in yourself and don’t be afraid to try new things. When I opened for Willie Nelson before a crowd of 10,000, I had never performed with a band. Nor had I ever been in front of such a huge audience. Before going on stage, I had to pray, have faith, and believe I could do it because if I didn’t believe in myself, I would have a shaky voice and be humiliated in front of that huge audience. That was a mind-over-matter situation, fueled by faith to give me strength, which I had to personally and mentally conquer; 2) About skills, I’m always working to improve my skills both vocally and in writing. I have taken master classes in songwriting and continue to believe in the power of scales to make my voice stronger. Before a live performance, I believe in practice, practice, practice, and work, work work. I continuously work on memory, phrasing, breathing, and delivery, which gives me confidence to perform at my best; 3) Regarding areas of knowledge, whenever I start a new project, for instance, if I’m writing something, I believe in research. I wrote a script about a public figure and was able to find online this person’s diary. For my family movie script I wrote, I had to learn about the world of car racing. To me, it’s very important to be accurate, even if you’re writing fiction. For the Gabby song, I studied my Bible, studied websites, and read numerous articles about domestically abused women. So for those who want to either write music, perform, or write stories, I would suggest you know your material, write from your heart, and make your subject matter personal.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
My husband’s constant support and encouragement in my career has been invaluable. He believed in me when others didn’t. He always encourages me and travels with me whenever and wherever I perform. He’s always been there for me and is my soulmate. He truly loves my voice and listens to my recordings way more than I listen to myself. If not for him, I would not be successful. Of course, Bill and I both put God first. But with that said, from the bottom of my heart, I know God gave me Bill and he is the reason God has blessed me with where I am today in my career.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.darlaz.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SingerDarlaZ/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/singerdarlaz/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DarlaZ
