Doug MacLeod (born April 21, 1946) is an American storytelling blues musician and was the voice for the Blues Showcase of Continental Airlines.[2][3] 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[4] and 2023 the Blues Music Award for Acoustic Artist Of The Year.[5] 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.[6] Doug MacLeod most often performs on acoustic guitar, but he's also well-versed in electric styles and a respected songwriter and magazine columnist.[7]
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.[8] 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.[9] As he honed his skills, he played around St. Louis in various bands as a bassist before enlisting in the Navy.[10] 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."[11][9] After he completed his time in the Navy, eventually settled in Los Angeles.[12]
From 1999 to 2004 Doug hosted "Nothin' But The Blues", a very popular weekend blues radio show on Los Angeles' KLON/KKJZ. He has also been the voice for 'The Blues Showcase' on Continental Airlines.[17] For ten years he penned "Doug's Back Porch," a regular feature column in Blues Revue Magazine[18] 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.[19]
Doug MacLeod is a Reference Recordings artist[20] and an active touring musician.[21] During a feature interview for his sixth album, Doug is said to have credited Ernest Banks and George “Harmonica” Smith as his mentors.[1]
Acoustic Artist of the Year 2014, 2016,[23] 2017, 2020, and 2023.[24][25]
Acoustic Album of the Year 2014, 2018 and 2024[26][9]
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,[27] 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017,[28] 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)
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,[30] and a Living Blues Top Album of 2017.[31] The album was also a cover story feature for the January 2018 issue of Blues Music Magazine.[32]
Doug MacLeod's 2022 release, A Soul To Claim on Reference Recordings was named a Downbeat Magazine Album of the Year.[33]
Doug MacLeod has been nominated for Acoustic Guitarist Of The Year in 2024 and 2025 by Blues Blast Magazine. He received a Blues Blast Magazine nomination for Acoustic Blues Album Of The Year in 2024 for Raw Blues 2. [34]
Discography
Between Somewhere and Goodbye (Reference Recordings 760) 2025
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.[40]
The Library of Congress recorded a video of MacLeod performing 'Catfish Blues' honoring David Honeyboy Edwards at the 2020 Folk Alliance in New Orleans LA.
References
1 2 Hartley, Dominic. "Between Somewhere and Goodbye: An Interview with Doug MacLeod". Fanfare: The Magazine for Serious Record Collectors. 49 (1): 89–95. ISSN0148-9364.
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