Palmer alumnus Donny Van Slee competes on NBC’s “The Voice.”
Donny Van Slee, D.C. (’21), is a full-time Doctor of Chiropractic. He’s also a musician in Nashville who recently appeared in front of millions of viewers on NBC’s “The Voice,” joining country music superstar Reba McEntire’s team for the music competition.
“I had been playing gigs since high school, but when I started at Palmer Florida, I decided to dedicate myself 100 percent to my studies and stopped performing,” says Dr. Van Slee.
However, following an impromptu performance at the Applebee’s near campus, the itch to be on stage returned. “I played ‘American Pie,’ and people started singing along. Afterward, someone walked up and offered me a weekly gig at their restaurant. I’ve been performing professionally ever since.”
Dr. Van Slee stopped in Nashville while traveling to Colorado to begin a preceptorship. The music scene there was eye-opening, making him think about a career on stage. An audition landed Dr. Van Slee a regular slot at Tootsies Orchid Lounge, but he still needed to earn his country music chops. “I was in ‘honky-tonk school’ five days a week while also studying for part four of my board exams,” Dr. Van Slee says. “It was a hectic time, but I loved it.”
A growing following in Nashville and on social media led to an invitation to audition for “The Voice.” Just seconds after beginning his “blind audition” song, “Greatest Love Story” by LANCO, McEntire turned her chair and blocked fellow judges and country music duo Dan + Shay from selecting Dr. Van Slee.
Though eliminated from the competition during the “knockout round,” Dr. Van Slee recalls the experience as an education and an excellent opportunity to share his voice and story with a new audience. “What you see on screen is only about 10 percent of the experience,” he says. “It was huge getting to learn alongside fellow artists, especially working with Reba. She’s the ‘Queen of Country Music.’ She taught me a lot about connecting with the audience and making them feel something real.”
On stage, Dr. Van Slee is conscious that he’s a spokesperson for the chiropractic profession. “My show and my music are about me and my journey, and that includes chiropractic,” says Dr. Van Slee. “I am not up there as a doctor, but I want to give people a positive association with chiropractic care. I believe music and chiropractic can both do so much to help people.”
Follow Dr. Van Slee (donnyvansleemusic.com) on streaming music platforms and Instagram (@donnyvanslee) for new tunes and a peek at his life in both worlds.
