If you’ve ever wondered, “Do people really have God-given talent?” Listen to Denise Hoey sing just once, and you’ll have your answer.  She is a woman who knows she has a gift and she doesn’t take it for granted.

I hadn’t heard her sing in years. Now, I’m not talking about in a band or at fundraisers. I’ve actually heard her many times as Denise Hoey & The Boulevard performed. I’ve always enjoyed her voice. In a band, she’s fun and entertaining and sings the hits as only she can. But there is something about when she can really let loose. I’m talking about hearing HER and a performance that showcases that voice in a way that only she can.

Denise  freshens up for the second part of her show  

Recently she hosted her own show called, ‘As Long As I’m Singing.’ The venue, Studio 308, made for the perfect fit for this kind of night. It’s intimate, rustic and charming in a classic old-time dance hall type of way. The lights are low except for the different hues of purple, red and blue on the stage against the red brick backdrop. You notice a keyboard, a mic stand, a music stand and not much else. A bar in the back on the left as you walk in, keeps the drinks flowing without being a distraction. The only things that give away you’re in Tulsa in 2019, paying with an iPad and nice bathrooms. The environment has that seedy, intimate feel I always like only with a clean space and no smoking.

On this night it’s almost like stepping back in time to a piano bar when people came to savor every note. I choose a high table in the back near a wall that I knew would buffer outside distractions.  I wasn’t there to visit or make small talk. I was there to listen to that voice that transforms and transcends. I could tell I wasn’ t alone in that quest. The audience, including me, seems both patient and excited for the presence that will soon take over this space.  And just as the sounds of laughter and chuckles peak among the quiet crowd murmuring in the room, Denise takes the stage.

Denise takes the stage

She is with her keyboard player Marcos Cruz, has a cup of water on a stool nearby and looks beautiful in a red jumpsuit and rhinestones.

In the two hours that follow a voice that is much like clean water flowing from a natural spring, fills the room. It wraps around you like water taking over the rock bed, seeping into the crevices between each stone like it does every heart in the room. Then, the Heavenly sound takes a piece of you with it downstream and on a journey that tunes out the man-made noises of life and brings you back to a place that is raw and beautiful.

As Denise moves through her set list, she tells you about the meanings behind the pieces she’s chosen to share and how each one shaped a memory. I’m not going to tell you all the specifics of the show because you need to experience it for yourself. I will tell you this show is Denise using music to give you a brief glimpse into her life; A life that includes fighting to be heard as a singer, wife, and mother, while also learning to listen to an internal voice navigating the ups and downs that make a true journey.

She is just the right mixture of raw emotion, strength, venerability, and comfort holding the mic among friends and family,  old and new,  who watch as her aura and talent fill the room.

She does all of this while putting her stamp on every genre you can think of including Broadway, country, blues, bluegrass, opera, and more.

Her voice is pure with no unwanted sharps, flats or false vibratos. Instead, you discover she does something some artists seem to have forgotten. She hits a note, then holds it unadulterated, clean, and crisp being sure to treat each crescendo or decrescendo with respect and care.

You’re never forced into the moment or kicked out of the moment. You’re somehow just, ‘in’ the moment right along with her, as every note she hits emits an emotion that can only happen because she has tapped into her heart and soul bringing the lyrics to life as only she can.

On this night I had to step out a little early. I hated leaving her show. She’d changed into her blue outfit after a brief intermission and just finished up a beautiful rendition of a song from the Broadway show ‘Waitress.’

As I walked out the door, I stopped to look back through the window at my friend,  a woman working hard, living her dream, and fighting the darkness. She was the most beautiful I’d ever seen her, shining her light, and singing her truth.  I loved seeing her so radiant and happy.

I just thought to myself; you go, girl! Keep being you Denise and keep shining brightly because this world needs people like you.

I snapped this photo and said a quick thank you prayer for a woman whose talent is only outshined by her heart.