His Eye Is on This Sparrow 
By Donna McAfee 

Donna McAfee, the host of West Coast Gospel, a Christian music show that taped live at B. B. King’s Blues Club and Restaurant at Universal City in Los Angeles, has a song from the key of life. It began when Donna graduated from DePaul University with a degree in computer science. She had always sung, but was advised to get a degree so that she could "work" while pursuing her music career. And work she did, until getting a call from WGN-TV to fly from New York to Chicago to shoot a show called American Giants with actor Morgan Freeman. The show chronicled the history of the Negro Baseball League, and Donna was the main on-camera singer.

During her prayer time, Donna heard the Lord ask her what she really wanted to do, to which she replied, "Lord, I want to sing."

The Lord replied, “Then quit this job!”

Amazed, Donna asked, "Can't I work while I pursue singing?"

"No," said the Lord.

So against the laughter and jeers of many co-workers, Donna quit her job. She then moved to Los Angeles - “a whole new world,” she says.

She was slated to be signed by Capitol Records, but upon moving to Los Angeles she found that Capitol had begun undergoing reorganization and she had no deal. For two years she sang everywhere and got taken by unreal and dishonest people in the industry, but Donna learned all she could, realizing that one day she would not have to rely on others.

Finally, Donna was offered a job of singing background with Natalie Cole, and she toured with Cole for more than four years. After the birth of her second daughter, Donna left touring for a more settled home life, as she searched for just the right thing.

She started Songbird Entertainment and made a record, So Blessed. Next, she created a gospel music catalog (a library of songs that television companies use to pick music for the opening and closing of their shows) that was chosen by Black Entertainment Network. Most recently she was asked by the management at B. B King’s to put together a Christian music show, which became West Coast Gospel.

Donna taped the show weekly, to be aired later for television. She hopes to develop seminars to share what she has learned in the industry so others don't have to work as hard as she did. It is her dream to launch others in the industry who will be wise and well equipped.

Now, that's a pretty song.