Ross Douglas Eclectic is Good!
Ross Douglas has done several things in many places.
Thus -a remarkably eclectic songwriting style.
In Toronto in the mid 70’s he was the piano player for The Choke Sisters, a satirical glam rock band fronted by the future Tony award winning director of Tommy- Des MacAnuff. He also appeared as Brad Majors in the Canadian Premiere of The Rocky Horror Show.
In the 80’s he toured much of the known world as the piano player for Billy Bishop goes to War. He also won a Jessie Award for Outstanding Musical Direction for his work on the Vancouver production of Angry Housewives.
In the 90’s for 8 years he was Willie in Willie and the Wassailers, an extremely popular Shakespearean styled singing group writing most of their material and producing their album Dancing Round the Moon. He also produced his first album of original song Two Directions. Described by one reviewer as having “great tunes, great lyrics and a neat sense of humour” it was heard on various CBC programs from Halifax to Vancouver. In 1994 he began a stint of 9 summers at the Theatre Royal in Barkerville,B.C. during which he wrote the songs, performed as an actor /musician and was musical director for 9 original musicals.
In 2002 he produced his second album of original song Caribou Eclectic- inspired in large part by his summers spent there. One of it’s songs Lovin Time was runner up in the Jazz Category of the 2004 John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Another, Santa Samba is becoming quite the Christmas favorite .Cal Koat of Fairchild Radio called it “the best Christmas song I’ve ever heard.”
His 3rd album The Art of you and I recorded in the Fall of 2006 has provided three audience favourites – the darkly humorous “Ukulele Crime” the rather shameless “Hard ot to Talk like Elvis” and the folk laced “Town for Tired People”
In 2009 his song” Kokanee Canary Canoe” won the Gold prize and Special Judges prize at the 25th annual Mid Atlantic Song Festival. In June he was deemed “Artist of the Month” by the online folk music site Folk Alley. His songs have been praised for their wit, variety, humour and poetry. And often, because they’re just plain fun. One reviewer described his style as “Folk,Celtic,African Cajun,Caribbean Theatrical stuff filtered through the mind of a guy whose life was changed by the Beatles.”
For More info and to sample songs visit
www.rossdouglas.com
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