Put Your Dress Down and Sing: A Memoir

Music gave her a life she could never have imagined

Put Your Dress Down and Sing is the inspiring and often hilarious story of Grammy-winner Darlene Koldenhoven, known worldwide as the tambourine-waving choir nun in both "Sister Act" movies with Whoopi Goldberg and as the featured soprano soloist in "Yanni, Live at the Acropolis," a top PBS-TV special and video seen by over 1.5 billion worldwide. We follow her journey as she overcomes many diverse challenges and obstacles growing up in a strict, repressive, Dutch Calvinist household on the South Side of Chicago.

She finds her freedom in Hollywood, creating and maintaining her nearly 50-year career as an independent vocal artist in the entertainment industry, proving that with persistence, determination, and hard work, dreams can come true. She shares insider stories of her work with A-List celebrities as a studio singer for artists such as Pink Floyd and a stage background singer for Paul McCartney, who kissed her on the cheek onstage at the Hollywood Bowl! Mid-career, she made her way to the front of the stage as a successful indie artist herself. The book contains a short music glossary, study guide questions, and a selection of the 300 career pictures shown on the book's website: DarleneKoldenhoven.com/book.

About the Author

GRAMMY(R) Award winner and 3-time nominee Darlene Koldenhoven, M.M.V., B.M.Ed., Indie Hall of Fame inductee, and Top Ten Billboard charting artist, has sung on more than 1,000 recordings for film, television, and albums. She has worked with a plethora of top celebrities. As a solo artist herself, she has had several number-one albums on the radio charts and debuted at #4 and #8 on the Billboard Charts in 2021. Primarily a vocalist, Darlene is also an actor, pianist, composer, lyricist, sonic therapist, voice teacher, and the author of Tune Your Voice: Singing and Your Mind's Musical Ear.

Praise for Put Your Dress Down and Sing

"Put Your Dress Down and Sing is everything you want in a memoir. It's the riveting journey of a woman whose talent and perseverance have overcome every setback with strength, humor, and resilience."

-Gloria Loring, singer, actor, Days of Our Lives

"A gripping memoir that weaves together an extraordinary journey of resilience, artistry, and deep personal sacrifice."

-Colonel Andy DeRosa, USAF (ret) Bronze Star, OIF and OEF Veteran

Author: Darlene Koldenhoven
Publisher: Sibylline Digital First
Published: 02/24/2026
Pages: 434
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.10lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.97d
ISBN: 9798897409402

About the Author
Koldenhoven, Darlene: - GRAMMY(R) Award winner and 3-time nominee Darlene Koldenhoven, M.M.V., B.M.Ed., Indie Hall of Fame inductee, and Top Ten Billboard charting artist, has sung on more than 1,000 recordings for film, television, and albums. She has worked with a plethora of top celebrities. As a solo artist herself, she has had several number-one albums on the radio charts and debuted at #4 and #8 on the Billboard Charts in 2021. Primarily a vocalist, Darlene is also an actor, pianist, composer, lyricist, sonic therapist, voice teacher, and the author of Tune Your Voice: Singing and Your Mind's Musical Ear.