Americana Folk Musician Doug Spears!
About Doug Spears
Blending elements of contemporary folk, Americana, bluegrass, country and folk rock, Doug Spears produces a sound that is fresh and new, yet immediately familiar. Painting lyrical images set to memorable melodies, delivered with a warm, unique guitar style and powered by rich vocals Doug is an east coast favorite at festivals, folk clubs, house concerts and listening rooms.
A seasoned performer and touring troubadour, Spears has invested more than 35 years developing his distinctive craft and with each song bite, the rich flavors penetrate the listening palate. Often drawing comparisons to some of the best known and well established artists of the genre Doug has carved a special niche for himself in folk and Americana music.
Doug was born in Leesburg, Florida and his best childhood memories tie back to the farm house his grandfather built in Lake County in the 1920's. He took up the guitar at age 12, learning on an old Gibson J-45 loaned to him by a family friend, and soon began writing his own songs heavily influenced by the wealth of songwriter poets of the time. Doug's song craft matured into a skillful weaving of lyric portraits capturing the essence of the often joyous though sometimes difficult aspects of our lives. Of his Florida homeland, he sings of the unsung and often undiscovered heart of Florida, before Disney World and Margaritaville, a simpler place covered by thousands of acres of palmetto scrub, citrus groves, family farms and cattle range. The Florida that so few know and appreciate.
In 2005 Spears released his debut CD, Truths & Lies, which received well-deserved praise for its song craft and musicianship. He followed with his 2007 sophomore album, Break Some Stones, a "live in the studio" solo recording. Chosen by Florida Times Union columnist Ron Johnson as his 2007 CD Release of the Year, Break Some Stones showcases Doug just as you'd hear him at a live show. Scheduled for release nationally in January 2010 to folk, acoustic and Americana radio, Doug's latest recording showcases the very best of Doug's regional Florida material produced for a national audience. Produced by long time friend Jason Thomas and promoted to folk, acoustic and Americana radio by Kari Estrin Management & Consulting in Nashville, the new CD, Welcome Home, features a stellar, internationally known cast of supporting musicians including Claire Lynch, Missy Raines, Rob Ickes, Jim Hurst, Mark Schatz, Kenny Malone and Jason Thomas, as well as some of the very best of Florida's wealth of musical talent.