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Lorna Lovell heaves a curveball with her debut album

After raising a family and changing careers several times, Lorna Lovell is finally following her dream. (Submitted by Lorna Lovell - image credit)
After raising a family and changing careers several times, Lorna Lovell is finally following her dream. (Submitted by Lorna Lovell - image credit)

Lorna Lovell says it's never too late to follow your dreams.

Her recent debut album, Whenever I Sing, has been warmly received, and Lovell has just released a music video for one of the songs on the album All Your Dances.

All this as she approaches 50.

"Life keeps throwing curveballs at me and I keep dodging them," Lovell says, "and sometimes heave them back."

Musical childhood

Lovell grew up in McIvers on the west coast of Newfoundland, where she said music was a big part of her childhood.

She sang regularly in Sunday school and church. Her father, Gordon Lovell, was a musician and songwriter who composed folk and country tunes, and even sometimes hymns.

Lovell recalled singing a hymn at her hometown church that she particularly enjoyed, and being surprised that her father had created it.

"Wow, he wrote that," Lovell recalled thinking. "Maybe I could do that."

Adulting gets in the way

Lovell said music was just one of her interests growing up, and it never occurred to her that she could make a career out of it.

Then her life got busy. Lovell married and had children at a young age. She worked as a hairstylist, computing drafting technician and legal assistant.

Lovell finally got around to writing her first song in 2007. However, she said it was only a few years ago that she was able to spend more time at it and become more confident about her work.

Following his footsteps

These days, Lovell said she's constantly writing songs, her talent constantly on demand on Newfoundland's west coast.

Lovell's father passed away in 2018. But Lovell said he was able to watch his daughter on her way to fulfilling her dream of becoming a professional musician.

"Dad was always really proud that I followed in his footsteps," she said.

Do you have a new album of music that Weekend AM should know about for First Listen? Email us wam@cbc.ca and tell us about it.

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