Doug MacLeod (born April 21, 1946) is an American storytelling
blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
musician and was the voice for the ''Blues Showcase'' of
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines (simply known as Continental) was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1934 until it merged with United Airlines in 2012. It had ownership interests and brand partnerships with several carriers.
Continen ...
''.'' Doug MacLeod is a multiple
Blues Music Awards
The Blues Music Awards, formerly known as the W. C. Handy Awards (or "The Handys"), are awards presented by the Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization set up to foster blues heritage. The awards were originally named in honor of W. C. Handy, ...
winner, including the 2024 Blues Music Award for Acoustic Album Of The Year for his album ''Raw Blues 1'' and 2023 the Blues Music Award for Acoustic Artist Of The Year. He received two 2025 Blues Music Award nominations for Acoustic Artist of the Year and Acoustic Album of the Year- Raw Blues 2. Doug MacLeod is an international touring artist who writes and sings original songs that are based on his own life and experiences. Doug MacLeod most often performs on acoustic guitar, but he's also well-versed in electric styles and a respected songwriter and magazine columnist.
Early life
Doug MacLeod was born in New York City on April 21, 1946, and his family relocated to Raleigh, North Carolina shortly after his birth. MacLeod had a difficult childhood marked by abuse, and he had a severe stutter. As he struggled to overcome his speech impediment, he learned to play the guitar and started to sing, which helped him find his voice. The family moved back to New York before relocating to St. Louis when MacLeod was in his teens. He became a frequent visitor to St. Louis' blues clubs. As he honed his skills, he played around St. Louis in various bands as a bassist before enlisting in the Navy. While he was stationed in Northern Virginia, he spent time playing in the local scene and eventually became mentored by a musician named Ernest Banks, who told him "Never write or sing about what you don't know about." After he completed his time in the Navy, eventually settled in Los Angeles.
Big Joe Turner
Joseph Vernon "Big Joe" Turner Jr. (May 18, 1911 – November 24, 1985) was an American blues shouter from Kansas City, Missouri. According to songwriter Doc Pomus, "Rock and roll would have never happened without him". Turner's greatest fa ...
, Pee Wee Crayton, Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson, Lowell Fulson, and
Big Mama Thornton
Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton (December 11, 1926 – July 25, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter of blues and R&B.
The ''Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock and Soul'' described Thornton by saying: "Her booming voice, sometimes 200-pound fra ...
. After a more than 40-year career, Doug MacLeod has recorded 29 studio albums, several live records, compilations, two blues guitar instructional DVDs, and a live performance DVD. Many artists have covered his songs including
Albert King
Albert King ( Nelson; April 25, 1923 – December 21, 1992), was an American guitarist and singer who is often regarded as one of the greatest and most influential blues guitarists of all time. He is perhaps best known for his popular and ...
,
Albert Collins
Albert Gene Collins (October 1, 1932 – November 24, 1993)Skeely, Richard. "Albert Collins: Biography" Allmusic.com. was an American electric blues guitarist and singer with a distinctive guitar style. He was noted for his powerful playing ...
Eva Cassidy
Eva Marie Cassidy (February 2, 1963 – November 2, 1996) was an American singer and musician known for her interpretations of jazz, Folk music, folk, and blues music, sung with a powerful, emotive soprano voice. In 1992, she released her f ...
. MacLeod's songs have been featured in many TV movies and the hit show ''In the Heat of the Night''.
From 1999 to 2004 Doug hosted Nothin' But The Blues, a very popular weekend blues show on Los Angeles' KLON-KKJZ. He has also been the voice for The Blues Showcase on Continental Airlines. For ten years he penned "Doug's Back Porch," a regular feature column in ''Blues Revue Magazine'' in which he shared his humorous and insightful stories with thousands of readers. He is one of the four featured artists in the movie “Resonate: A Guitar Story”, the feature documentary on the making of National Guitars.
Doug MacLeod is a Reference Recordings artist and an active touring musician.
Awards
MacLeod has won eight
Blues Music Awards
The Blues Music Awards, formerly known as the W. C. Handy Awards (or "The Handys"), are awards presented by the Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization set up to foster blues heritage. The awards were originally named in honor of W. C. Handy, ...
, including:
*Acoustic Artist of the Year 2014, 2016, 2017, 2020, and 2023.
*Acoustic Album of the Year 2014, 2018 and 2024
He has received multiple Blues Music Award nominations for:
*Best Song in 2006 ("Dubb's Talkin' Politician Blues"), in 2014 ("The Entitled Few") and in 2016 ("You Got It Good (and That Ain’t Bad)"),
*Acoustic Artist of the Year: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025
*Acoustic Album of the Year in 2012 (''Brand New Eyes''), 2014 (''There's a Time''), 2016 (''Exactly Like This''), 2018 (''Break The Chain''), 2024 ''(Raw Blues 1)'' and 2025 ''(Raw Blues 2)''
*Historical Album in 2017 (''Live in Europe'').
Doug MacLeod is a 2024 Blues Blast Music Awards Nominee for Acoustic Blues Album for his release ''Raw Blues 2'', and Acoustic Guitarist of The Year Nominee
Doug MacLeod's 2022 release, ''A Soul To Claim'' on Reference Recordings was named a '' Downbeat Magazine'' Album of the Year.
Doug MacLeod's ''Break the Chain'' release on Reference Recordings was nominated for three Blues Music Awards, the Independent Music Awards' Blues Album of the Year, and a ''Living Blues'' Top Album of 2017. The album was also a cover story feature for the January 2018 issue of ''Blues Music Magazine''.
Discography
*''Raw Blues 2'' ( Sledgehammer Blues) 2024
*''Fine Lookin' Sugar'' (Single-Sledgehammer Blues) 2024
*''Raw Blues 1'' (EP-Sledgehammer Blues) 2023
* ''I'm Gone'' (Single-Sledgehammer Blues) 2023
*''Plaquemine'' (Single-Sledgehammer Blues) 2023
*''A Soul To Claim'' (Reference Recordings) 2022
*''Send The Soul On Home'' (Single-Under The Radar Music Group) 2019
*''Lobby Money'' (Single- Under The Radar Music Group) 2018
*''Break the Chain'' (Reference Recordings) 2017
*''Live in Europe'' (Under the Radar Music Group) 2016
*''Plowin' Mule Remix'' (Single -Black & Tan) 2016
*''Doug MacLeod Remixed EP'' (Black & Tan) 2016
*''Exactly Like This'' (Reference Recordings) 2015
*''A Double Dose Of Dubb EP (''Black & Tan) 2015
*''The Roots Of It All Acoustic Blues The Definitive Collection Vol. 4'' (Bear Family Productions) 2014
*''There's a Time'' (Reference Recordings) 2013
*''Night Walking Remix'' (Single- Black & Tan) 2013
*''Come to Find - Reissue'' (APO) 2013
*''Doug MacLeod Direct-To-Disc'' (APO) 2012
*''The Devil Is Beating His Wife Remix'' (Single-Black & Tan) 2011
*''Brand New Eyes'' (Fresh! from RR) 2011
*''The Utrecht Sessions'' (Black & Tan) 2008
*''Live at XM Radio vol. 2'' (Black & Tan) 2007
*''Live at XM Satellite'' (Black & Tan) 2007
*''Where I Been'' (Black & Tan) 2006
*''Dubb'' (Black & Tan) 2005
*''A Little Sin'' (Black & Tan) 2002
*''101 Blues Guitar Essentials'' (instructional
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...
) (Solid Air Record / Alfred Publishing) 2006
*''Bluesquest'' (Sledgehammer Blues (formerly AudioQuest Music) 2006
*''Whose Truth, Whose Lies'' ( Sledgehammer Blues (formerly AudioQuest Music)) 2000
*''Live As It Gets'' (with John "Juke" Logan) (Mocombo Records) 1999
*''Unmarked Road'' (Sledgehammer Blues (formerly AudioQuest Music)) 1997
*''Blues Masters'' (Sledgehammer Blues (formerly AudioQuest Music) 1996
*''You Can't Take My Blues'' (Sledgehammer Blues (formerly AudioQuest Music)) 1996
*''Works Of Art'' (Sledgehammer Blues (formerly AudioQuest Music) 1994
*''Come to Find'' (Sledgehammer Blues (formerly AudioQuest Music)) 1994
*''Live in 1991 vol. 1'' (Black & Tan) 1991
*''Live in 1991 vol. 2'' (Black & Tan) 1991
*''Ain't The Blues Evil'' (Volt/Fantasy) 1991
*''54th and Vermont'' (Stomp) 1989
*''Woman In The Street'' (Stomp) 1987
*''No Road Back Home'' (Hightone) 1984
Recorded with
* ''Walking Shoes and Thinking Hat /'' Budda Power Blues / (Bandcamp) 2024
* ''All Kinds Of Blues'' / Mick Kolassa / (Endless Blues) 2024
* ''Back Home'' / Wendy and DB / ( Planet Wendy Publishing) 2024
* ''Wooden Music /'' Mick Kolassa / (Endless Blues) 2023
* ''Rhythm Blues & Boogie /'' Dave Keyes / (Blue Heart Records) 2022
* ''They Call Me Uncle Mick'' / Mick Kolassa / (Endless Blues) 2022
* ''Two Sides'' / Kirsten Thien / (Screen Door Records) 2020
* ''Acoustic Blues The Definitive Collection'' / (Bear Family Productions Ltd) 2015
* ''Pick Your Choice'' / George Harmonica Smith / (Essential Media Group)) 2014
* ''Get Your Nose Out Of My Business'' / Rich DelGrosso / (CD Baby) 2005
* ''Slide Guitar for August Wilson's play The Gem Of The Ocean'' 2003
* ''Early Hours'' / Pee Wee Crayton / (Blind Pig) 1999
* ''Now You Can Talk About Me'' / George Harmonica Smith / (Blind Pig) 1998
* ''Dark Night'' / James Armstrong / (Hightone) 1998
* ''Naked Heart'' / Susan J Paul / (Sugar Bone) 1997
* ''East Side Story'' / Kid Frost / (Virgin) 1992
* ''The Ladies And The Babies'' / Frankie Lee (Hightone) 1984
* ''Make Room For Pee Wee'' / Pee Wee Crayton (Murray Bros) 1983
Books
*''Who Is Blues Vol.1'' - Doug MacLeod. 2018
Film appearances
MacLeod appeared in ''Resonate: A Guitar Story'' along with Catfish Keith, Bob Brozman and Mike Dowling. ''Resonate'' is a story of contemporary players of
National Reso-Phonic Guitars
National Reso-Phonic Guitars is a manufacturer of resonator guitars and other resonator instruments including resonator mandolins, tenor instruments, and resonator ukuleles.YouTubeBandsintown