Interview: Linda Boles
Linda Boles is a lady with a hugely inspirational story. Louder Than The Music chatted with her to delve into her fascinating life and her background in music, and of course to find out about the release of her new original song, UNBORN.
For those who haven’t heard of you before, can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got involved in making music?
I am a singer/songwriter who is inspired by God. My greatest joy is sharing God’s love with others. I cannot remember a time when I was not a musician. When I was a young girl, my brother and I performed with Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner back in the day. We were part of my family’s bluegrass band, The Darden Family, who performed all over and were well known in the 1950’s and 1960’s. My brother played guitar and we sang duets of country songs. My mother decided that I would play piano (a good thing she did) and my brother played guitar. We performed at all kinds of events throughout my childhood. When we got older, he joined the Marines and went off to Vietnam. At that time, I picked up the guitar and began to play folk songs in local coffeehouses. That was the thing to do in the 1960’s. When my brother returned, he joined a rock band, Black River Circus, and in my senior year of high school, I became a singer in his rock band. We played all over but mostly at naval bases and even travelled to Cuba to play for the military troops there. I fell in love with the bass player of the band, we got married and had a daughter. In 1982, he died unexpectedly in his sleep of a heart attack at the age of 31. He died at the break of dawn on the first day of spring. It was a total shock, and I can remember how difficult it was to breathe or get one foot in front of the other.
God started inspiring me to write songs. I travelled, had a band, recorded albums, and did concerts all over the East Coast of the United States. I appeared on radio and television, including the 700 Club. But life happened and things changed, and I forgot about the songs that God had given me. I went to college and got my degrees, began my music teaching career, and retired in 2017 after teaching for 42 years.
This past February 2023, the Lord reminded me of the songs He had given me so long ago. The word I kept getting from Him was to share. I thought, “really Lord?”. I don’t even know how to begin. So began my journey on social media. I posted my first video on February 25th to my Facebook page. That led to more videos and a YouTube Channel, Linda Boles Music. As a result, the videos have been liked and commented on by people from all over the world. I am excited that the songs that God has given me have been shared by so many.
In June 2023, the Lord inspired me to begin sharing on my walks with the dogs each morning. The daily “Walk & Talk” has become part of my morning routine. The “Walk & Talk” has been viewed by as many as 58K on one day and 24.5K another day and normally average 1K per day. God has used this simple post to connect with thousands of viewers.
I am excited to have the opportunity to work with Homegrown Worship in the UK to produce my songs for global distribution. My first release, UNBORN, has been well received all over the world.
Tell us about ‘UNBORN’ and what the inspiration behind it was?
This song is powerful, and it is my prayer that it will be heard in all corners of the world to inspire the hearts of men and women regarding the value of human life.
UNBORN is written from the perspective of the child yet to be born. The child is thinking about what mom looks like and thinking what a joy it will be to do the normal things that children do. Made in His image but looking a lot like mom and dad, the child has a spirit just like the Lords.
Jeremiah 1:5 says that God knew us before we were formed in the womb. Psalm 139:15-16 also states that “…Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one came to be.”
Do you think any of these children who lost their life through abortion would have given their life willingly if given the choice? They were sacrificial lambs at the altar of convenience.
Children are God’s best gift and His generous legacy. (Psalm 127:3)
Do you have any plans to release more music in the near future?
Yes. Three more original songs will be released in early 2024. My second release on January 19th is a song called “Long Before I Start”. I take great comfort in the fact that I don’t have to get it all together before I go to the Lord. He always meets me where I am and accepts me flaws and all. When I pray, I don’t have to be concerned about having just the right words or whether He will understand. Jesus looks into my heart, and He knows what I will say….”Long Before I Start”. Matthew 6:8 says, “And we know that our Father knows what we need before we ask Him”.
My February release is a song called “The Missionary”. This song is the first song that the Lord gave me after my first husband died. It was written about the life of my young husband who was an insurance salesman but who had a missionary’s heart. We’re not all called to go to far-off places to serve as missionaries, but I believe we can be missionaries right where we are.
In March, I will release “The Master’s Call”, a joyful song of celebration as we join together to sing praises to God. When we praise God, love Him, and serve Him, His light dispels darkness as His love reaches out to those we pass along the way.
Project God Share is my mission to produce more songs to share God’s light to the world through the music He has given. Rocket Fuel Crowdfunding platform is set up to give my friends and followers the opportunity to share their light with the world as they join in my Project God Share mission. Please go to rocketfuelhq.com/linda-boles to support Project God Share.
What message would you like people to take from your music?
Music is a very powerful tool that God has given us to share His light and His love with the world. Music has a way of touching us in a way that we can’t explain. Music can make us happy or sad, it can bring memories of good and bad times. We all have felt it but few of us have the words to express how music touches our lives.
The music that God has inspired me to write is an expression of His great love for each and every one of us. He meets us where we are. All we have to do is invite Him into our hearts. He loves us, He forgives us, He wants to demonstrate His love for us as we walk with Him daily.
How would you describe your style of music and what are your influences?
As a child, I performed with The Darden Family Band who played bluegrass and country music all over the east coast. I studied classical piano from age 6 until I graduated high school and continued my piano and vocal studies in college. Also, during that time, I sang with my brother’s rock band, The Black River Circus. We performed cover songs, and I could imitate any of the popular girl singers of the time. Later I turned to folk music while my brother served in the Marines. I have quite an eclectic range of experiences that have influenced who I am today.
I am deeply moved by anything piano related and love to play piano and sing. I’m not sure that I can explain my style but I do think it is uniquely me.
If you could work with any songwriter, who would it be and why?
My father, Dan Darden, was a wonderful songwriter and I have his collection of songs. I wish I would have appreciated his gift of songwriting more while he was living. I’m sure he could have taught me a lot. When I was growing up, he used to travel to Nashville often to pitch his songs. He was friends with Patsy Cline and Brenda Lee and many country artists during that time. He even served as a pallbearer at Patsy’s funeral.
How would you define success in your career as an artist?
In February 2023, I was retired after teaching piano and public-school music for 42 years. I was content to work in my garden and do other things. God spoke to me and told me to share the songs He had given me. The book of songs He was referring to sat on the bookshelf so long that it had gathered dust. I had forgotten all about that book of songs. I had no idea how to start but I asked my pastor, and he said that social media was the way to go. So began my journey to follow God’s direction in my life by sharing the songs He had given me. It’s not even a year later and God has done a great work. The sharing on social media led to many comments, likes and views which led to Homegrown Worship and the production of several of my songs for a global platform. God told me to share, and I am sharing. My success lies in following God to the best of my ability. I’m sharing.
What is your favorite album of all time?
Carol King is my favorite artist and I love her Tapestry album. I still have some of her piano/vocal arrangements in my collection.
You’re stuck on an island, it’s hot, you only have enough battery life left to listen to one song on your phone. What track is it?
I guess this question is about what your favorite song of all time is. In the real world, I wouldn’t use my remaining battery to play a song. I would call my husband to let him know where I am. I am all about singing a cappella. I have a lot of favorite songs and one at the top of the list is Psalm 5. If I was stuck anywhere, I would probably sing this song of prayer. “Give ear to my words, O Lord. Consider my meditation. Harken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning. O Lord, in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up”. Blessings!
What does the next year hold for you?
My future is in the hands of the Lord. When I think back to a year ago, I had no intention of following this musical path, but this is where the Lord has brought me. I am excited to see what happens next. It is such an honor and privilege to have this opportunity to share the songs that God has given me. It is my prayer that doors will open, and hearts will be touched as these songs are shared with the world. Thank you for being a part of my journey.
