Even as a small boy, Doug embraced his love for music. He began writing his own songs at the age of 9, but truly found his passion at age 12 when his father handed him his first guitar. It wasn’t until Doug was in his early 20’s, however, that he felt the “calling” to pursue his music full time. That calling came in the form of an encouraging encounter with his long-time idol, Mr. Willie Nelson. With an affirming handshake and a gentle nod of approval from Willie, Doug received his blessing and he saw the path that lay before him.
As a music major, Doug attended college at the University of Texas while he cut his teeth on some of the many great Austin stages, and eventually maintained a consistent regional touring schedule with his band. During that time, he was fortunate to be mentored by some of the most seasoned road dogs in the business who helped him learn the importance and the power of a great live performance. After living in Austin for nine years, Doug made the move to Nashville to focus on songwriting. He felt it was necessary for his craft that he live in a city where he could be fully immersed with the greatest writers in the world. That move to Nashville proved to be one of the best decisions he could have made for that chapter of his career, and for three straight years Doug kept his nose to the grindstone and learned all he could from the masters. He gained exponential growth as a writer, artist, performer, and businessman during this time, but all the while his heart kept a tight hold to his Texas roots. Eventually Doug decided to follow the beckoning of his home land and packed his bags for Texas. He got settled in Houston, but after playing in the Bayou City for nearly two years and earning a solid local reputation, Doug was still in search of a place where he felt “at home.” As fate would have it, that home ended up being a unique little city called New Braunfels. Nestled at the edge of the beautiful Hill Country, it was here that Doug discovered a wonderful community filled with people who love making original music, listening to live Americana shows, and supporting the local musicians as if they were family. It was in this town that Doug finally started to see the full potential of his efforts and all the tools he had gained over the past decade. This is where it all came together for him.
Since living in New Braunfels, Doug has written volumes of new material inspired from his journey and others that have crossed his path. A handful of these songs are showcased on his latest EP, “It Must Be Love,” which was recorded in Austin with legendary string man Geoff Queen as the producer and multi-instrumentalist (Hayes Carll, Bruce Robison, Kelly Willis, Wade Bowen, Randy Rogers), along with Clint Simmons (Ryan Beaver, Dawn & Hawkes) on drums, and the talented Joe Beckham as the engineer.
