Photo by
Michael
Kramer |
Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area,
Douglas Clegg's career as a songwriter and performer
began with his early training on piano, inspired by
watching his father play stride and boogie-woogie. After
a few years he taught himself guitar, and then fiddle,
mandolin, accordion, and various other strings, winds,
and open-reeds. Clegg began writing songs in 1980, and
has since made his living performing in clubs and
coffeehouses, in concerts and at festivals throughout
New England, the northeast, and other parts of the US.
and Canada. His lively performances of original songs
and traditional tunes, his expert musicianship, and
strong, pleasing voice have made him a well-known and
sought-after artist on the folk music circuit.
Victory Review of Seattle, Washington, says "Clegg
does everything but set himself on fire, and his writing
is excellent -- focused, understandable, and universal
-- a refreshing change...highly recommended."
Clegg recorded his first album, Fill My Thirst in
1987. The title song has been recorded by Bill Staines,
and the record received strong reviews and sales. He was
a 1989 finalist at the Kerrville Folk Festival (Texas)
songwriting competition, and won the 1994 Song of the
Year from the New England Regional Country Music
Association. He has won numerous other songwriting and
fiddling awards, and has gone on to record five more
CD's on his own Clegg Yolk label* including a collection
of children's songs and a Christmas project.
Boston's WUMB Radio says Clegg is "intense and
sincere. His singing, especially, comes from so deep
down; emotionally, it's very satisfying...he plays like
lightning, sings like thunder." The New Hampshire Sunday
News says "Clegg demonstrates a maturity of sound that
comes only with time, both in the writing and the
musicianship." And the Boston Globe calls Clegg "an
adept multi- instrumentalist," and his style "just plain
good music, performed well and without gimmicks."
Clegg performs with guitars (six-string, steel, and
twelve-string), piano, fiddle, accordion, mandolin, and
flute. His recordings receive airplay on over fifty
radio stations nationwide, as well as in Europe and
Australia. He has shared the stage with Patty Larkin,
Dave Van Ronk, Livingston Taylor, Jonathan Edwards,
Beppe Gambetta and many more. Bill Staines says "Doug is
a wonderful songwriter with a great sense of tradition."
Now living in Santa Barbara, California, Douglas
Clegg is one of the reasons that acoustic music thrives
today, and the strong personal statement he makes is
sure to connect with any listener and inspire any lover
of hand-crafted music. |
