Thom "Ace" Doucette is an American

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 ...

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica incl ...

player from the

Sarasota, Florida Sarasota () is a city in and the county seat of Sarasota County, Florida, United States. It is located in Southwest Florida, the southern end of the Tampa Bay area, and north of Fort Myers, Florida, Fort Myers and Punta Gorda, Florida, Punta Gord ...

region. He is best known for having played with

The Allman Brothers Band The Allman Brothers Band was an American rock music, rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969. Its founding members were brothers Duane Allman (slide guitar, lead guitar) and Gregg Allman (vocals, keyboards), as well as Dickey Betts ( ...

in the 1970s and later, although he was never an official member. In his early days as a musician, Doucette was a friend of bassist

Berry Oakley Raymond Berry Oakley III (April 4, 1948 – November 11, 1972) was an American bassist and one of the founding members of the Allman Brothers Band. Known for his long, melodic bass runs, he was ranked number 46 on ''Bass Player'' magazine's l ...

; guitarist

Dickey Betts Forrest Richard Betts (December 12, 1943 – April 18, 2024) was an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He was best known as a longtime member of the Allman Brothers Band. A co-founder of the band when it formed in 1969, he was central ...

occasionally ran into the pair in Florida clubs. Once the Allman Brothers Band had formed with Oakley and Betts as members, Doucette became friendly with group leader

Duane Allman Howard Duane Allman (November 20, 1946 – October 29, 1971) was an American rock and blues guitarist and the founder and original leader of the Allman Brothers Band, for which he was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fam ...

, who bestowed upon him the moniker "The Ace". Doucette appears on the group's second album, ''

Idlewild South ''Idlewild South'' is the second studio album by American rock band the Allman Brothers Band. With the exception of one song, the album was produced by Tom Dowd and was released on September 23, 1970 in the United States, by Atco Records and Ca ...

'' in 1970, playing harmonica and percussion. In particular his harmonica is featured on the track "Don't Keep Me Wonderin'", where it plays along and against the

slide guitar Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos that ...

of Duane Allman; towards the end the two merge together. Doucette joined the band frequently when they played the

Fillmore East The Fillmore East was Promoter (entertainment), rock promoter Bill Graham (promoter), Bill Graham's rock venue on Second Avenue (Manhattan), Second Avenue near 6th Street (Manhattan), East 6th Street on the Lower East Side section of Manhattan, ...

in New York, and consequently his harmonica solos are featured on two of the tracks from the classic 1971 live album ''

At Fillmore East ''At Fillmore East'' is the first live album by American rock band the Allman Brothers Band, and their third release overall. Produced by Tom Dowd, the album was released on July 6, 1971 in the United States, by Capricorn Records. As the title ...

'', those being "

Done Somebody Wrong "I Must Have Done Somebody Wrong" is a blues song written and recorded by Eddie Kirkland in 1959. Using the same lyrics but modifying aspects of the music, Elmore James recorded it as "Done Somebody Wrong" in 1960; he took sole writing credit ...

" and " You Don't Love Me". (A solo on a third song, "

Stormy Monday "Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just as Bad)" (commonly referred to as "Stormy Monday") is a song written and recorded by American blues electric guitar pioneer T-Bone Walker. It is a slow twelve-bar blues performed in the West Coast bl ...

", was edited out of the original album release but restored in some later editions.) Duane Allman tried to convince Doucette to formally join the group, but Doucette declined. As

Gregg Allman Gregory LeNoir Allman (December 8, 1947 – May 27, 2017) was an American musician, singer and songwriter. He was known for performing in the Allman Brothers Band. Allman grew up with an interest in rhythm and blues music, and the Allman B ...

recalled of Doucette in his memoir, "I don't think he wanted the responsibility. I don't think he wanted to have to be anywhere at any time—Thom just kind of drifts, still to this day." Doucette was one of the musicians who played at Duane Allman's funeral later in 1971. Doucette would perform again with the band in the early 1990s, following the group's 1989 reformation; one of those appearances is included on the 1992 live album '' An Evening with the Allman Brothers Band: First Set''. Remaining a Sarasota resident, he sometimes appeared at individual Betts or Gregg Allman shows in the Florida area. He again appeared with the full band at its 40th anniversary shows during its 2009 Beacon run in New York. Besides his activities as a musician, Doucette also became a

yoga instructor Yoga teacher training is the training of teachers of yoga as exercise, consisting mainly of the practice of yoga asanas, leading to certification. Such training is accredited by the Yoga Alliance in America, by the British Wheel of Yoga in the ...

in the Sarasota area.

Discography

With The Allman Brothers Band * '' Idlewind South'' (1970) * ''

'' (1971) * ''

Eat a Peach ''Eat a Peach'' is an album by the American rock band the Allman Brothers Band, released on February 12, 1972, by Capricorn Records. A double album, it was produced by Tom Dowd and serves as the band's third studio album and second live album d ...

'' (1972) (on tracks 3-5) * '' An Evening with the Allman Brothers Band: First Set'' (1992) * '' 40'' (2014)

References

External links

Entry at Discogs.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Doucette, Thom Living people American blues harmonica players The Allman Brothers Band Musicians from Sarasota, Florida Year of birth missing (living people) 20th-century American musicians