Douglas, John

Websites:  No
Origin: Campbellford, Ontario, 🇨🇦
Biography:

Campbellford, Ontario native Johnny Douglas, studied classical piano for eight years, beginning at the age of 7. He played drums in bands starting at age 14 and took up guitar when he was 15. It was at this time he also started writing his own music. Douglas moved to California as a teenager living in both Los Angeles and San Francisco.

He had success in bands such as The Rowan Brothers, and Dancer, and did session work including recording two albums with RCA artist John Stewart (formerly of The Kingston Trio). Douglas also toured with Stewart.

Douglas would sign with Orient/RCA Records in 1981 for the album ‘Shakedown’ which spawned three singles. This was followed immediately with another album in 1982, ‘Born to Bop’, as Johnny Dee Fury. He assembled a rockabilly band with Kit Johnson (bass) and Bodan Hlusko (drums) and toured extensively for several years.

After moving to Nashville, Tennessee he signed as writer to various publishing deals with Sony, EMI and Still Working Music Publishing. While in Nashville, he formed the acoustic duo Hemingway Corner with guitarist/singer David Martin. He co-wrote, played, sang on and co-produced the self-titled debut album on Sony Canada. The record featured several hit singles including “Man on a Mission”, “Ride It Out” and “Big Sky” (which saw two weeks at No.1 on the charts).

Douglas left the group after the first album but co-wrote all but one single on the second release. During this period he also produced several Country artists which included Jim Witter’s debut album and earned him ‘Country Producer’ and ‘Country Songwriter’ Awards from the CCMA in 1995. He would also win SOCAN Songwriter Awards in 1994 thru 1996 inclusive.

Douglas has had over 60 songs in films and TV shows such as ‘A Cinderella Story’, ‘All In’, ‘Trick ‘R Treat’, ‘Beverly Hills 90210’, ‘Ghost Whisperer’, ‘Party of Five’, ‘The Young and The Restless’, ‘Blue Mountain State’, ‘Jane by Design’ and ‘Smallville’. He has had more than 150 songs recorded and released by other artists including Jim Witter, Hemingway Corner, Gregg Allman, Jeff Healey, Junkhouse, B4, Joy Lynn White and Carmen Electra.

Douglas’s musical scores have found homes in numerous documentaries including biographies of The Mamas and The Papas, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Patsy Cline and Marty Robbins. From his home recording studio he produces and writes primarily for film and TV; clients include Disney, Paramount, Universal, MTV, Bravo, Fox and ABC-TV. His current project is Boy at the End of the World which is an original recording project on which he plays, sings and writes everything as well as producing it in his studio. To date four songs have been placed on TV programs.

Douglas’s international profile includes recording with or appearing on stage with B.B. King, Steve Cropper, Jerry Garcia, Roy Buchanan, Linda Ronstadt, James Burton, Jim Keltner, Coco Montoya, Mike Bloomfield, Domenic Troiano, Bob Babbit, Wayne Henderson, The Doobie Brothers and Roy Orbison. He Has toured with and/or opened shows for The Grateful Dead, Van Morrison, The New Riders of the Purple Sage, Iron Butterfly, Canned Heat, J. Geils Band, Loggins and Messina, Elvin Bishop, The Doobie Brothers, The Romantics, The Temptations, Earth, Wind and Fire, Carl Perkins, The Stray Cats, The Blasters and Blue Rodeo.