Doug MacLeod (born April 21, 1946) is an American storytelling blues musician and was the voice for the Blues Showcase of Continental Airlines. Doug MacLeod is a multiple Blues Music Awards 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. 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.

Career

His entry into the L.A. blues scene saw him land sideman gigs with George "Harmonica" Smith, Big Joe Turner, Pee Wee Crayton, Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson, Lowell Fulson, and Big Mama Thornton. 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 Collins, Joe Louis Walker and Eva Cassidy. 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, including: He has been nominated for several consecutive years for: 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

Recorded with

Books

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.