Doug MacLeod is one of the last remaining bluesmen who learned from the old masters, lived the music, survived the life and carries forward that valuable tradition.
Within the blues world, MacLeod is known for his superb songwriting, guitar wizardry, warm soulful vocals, wit, and unforgettable live performances.

At the heart of this is his knack for storytelling, bringing characters—from the faceless to the legendary—to strikingly real life. While he developed his rich, soulful voice MacLeod also worked out a unique, unorthodox and powerfully rhythmic acoustic guitar style, tempered by his early years as a blues bass player and honed by his subsequent journeys into jazz and electric blues.

His distinct style of playing was a byproduct of pent-up rage from his turbulent childhood and the segregation drama in his new home of St. Louis. Eventually, he channeled it through his National guitar, using his relentless right hand to pound out an insistent, churning beat to complement his intricate bottleneck and fingerstyle technique.

MacLeod’s playing landed him sideman gigs with Smith, Big Joe Turner, Pee Wee Crayton, Eddie ‘Cleanhead’ Vinson, Lowell Fulson, and Big Mama Thornton.