Singer D’Lee has released a new track ‘If There’s A Place’, and it is far from the typical country ballad so common in the genre’s current landscape. This is her father’s song, written by Frank English Sr., which she selected from dozens of his compositions to give it life after his passing. Out of everything he wrote over decades of creativity, this particular piece has been her favorite since childhood, the very one that filled their home when her father sang for the family.

Frank English Sr. was the bodyguard for George Jones and David Allan Coe (which is like guarding the living history of country music), an officer, a man with a 59 year marriage, and a songwriter who never took the stage. He never sought fame, never recorded, and never performed publicly. And now his daughter, D’Lee, has given the song ‘If There’s A Place’ a voice. ‘If There’s A Place’ is about searching for a place free from pain and memories.

D’Lee performed ‘If There’s A Place’ in classic country storytelling, but her performance carries a special intimacy, you know? She is talking to her father through the music. The central bridge is especially impressive.

In the bridge, she asks the question that every child who has lost a parent carries in their heart:

“Now, | was just a little girl when my Daddy wrote this song…Back then | wondered, what was he feeling that he would write such a beautiful song filled with so much sorrow. As | grew older, | experienced love, sadness and a broken heart — and it was then that | began to understand the words in this song… My Daddy’s been gone for quite a while now, And if | could ask him just one question, I’d wanna know, ‘Daddy, did you find it?”

In it, D’Lee speaks and her voice acquires an almost meditative quality. At this moment, the boundary between D’Lee and the listener, earth and sky, is blurred. Here, a daughter talks to her father, and we become witnesses to this dialogue. I have goosebumps!

You know, now that country is flirting more and more with pop and hip-hop, the appearance of such a traditionalist yet fresh track is a reminder of the genre’s roots and the values of family and roots. I absolutely recommend it!

Hey! Thank you for always releasing such touching music. I am always amazed at how you manage to hit the mark with stories, words, and every one of your new releases. I love it and I want more! I am your fan!

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