Hall of Famer and Noisemaker Doug Derryberry!

“Douglas, I think you’ve gone ‘round the bend on this music thing.”
“That’s right, Ma. And I ain’t a-comin’ back!”

Doug Derryberry was a feature in Bruce’s band from 1998 to 2014 and much appreciated by the Bruuuce.com community.

Straight from the “it’s a small world” department, Doug played in a high school band with my cousins Edward and Paul… so we can even attest to a prodigious talent from an early age! He was introduced to Bruce through Vertical Horizon, and after a brief session playing, he was signed up on the same day.

One of my favourite things to do at a BH show is to watch Doug, and see where he plays a part vocally, playing the perfect match to Bruce’s voice. His guitar, Bruce has said himself, “makes my toes curl”. And let the fans speak also, from various e-mails or Board posts over the years:

“Doug turned out a series of great solo turns on several songs.”

“Doug was REALLY smoking last night! Wait until you hear him on Continents Drift.”

“Listening to Doug play the solo R.S. recorded on Continents Drift was chilling.”

“Beg, borrow or steal to get a recording of this show, if only for Doug Derryberry’s geetar throughout.”

“Doug Derryberry showed us his extraordinary skills during Road Not Taken and Prairie Dog Town.”

“Doug was handling the high harmonies beautifully.”

“Doug Derryberry did an incredible job on the guitar solo for Continents Drift that had many in the audience near tears as you could only imagine RS playing that part as on the recording.”

How about this for a list of credits, for mixing, producing and performing: Ben Folds, Dave Matthews Band, Bruce Hornsby, Bonnie Raitt, Chaka Khan, Ricky Skaggs, Bela Fleck, Branford Marsalis, James Ingram, John Mayer, Vertical Horizon and Pat McGee.

Most recently you may have heard Doug several times without even knowing it, as a part of the Sesame Street band (pictured).

Unsurprisingly, Doug features prominently in our list of one hundred of Bruce Hornsby’s best live tracks. Here are some of the finest:

  67. Line in the Dust
» 5.1 MiB - 1,542 downloads

67. December 13 2000
Expression Center for New Media – Emeryville, CA
Line in the Dust
Taken from a KFOG radio broadcast. Doug is tremendous here.

  71. Great Divide > Across the Great Divide
» 12.0 MiB - 1,596 downloads

71. September 28 2002
Landmark Theater – Syracuse, NY
Great Divide > Across the Great Divide
Extended solo piano intro into two divide songs(!). Listen to how quickly Doug is into the switch, and he clearly loves singing it.

  72. Cartoons and Candy
» 11.2 MiB - 1,519 downloads

72. October 5 2002
Haymaker Music Festival – Spotsylvania, VA
Cartoons and Candy
Bruce’s brother Bobby called this their best show in years. A lengthy twelve minute version, and another where Doug is clearly having a blast with the Prince-esque vocals.

  100. Continents Drift
» 7.2 MiB - 1,742 downloads

100. October 8 2009
Burlington, VT
Continents Drift
I spoke with Doug about his solo here, which was played by R.S. Hornsby on the record. Bruce had asked him to play it as close to the original as possible.

Doug is a busy, busy man – and you can read his latest work at DougDerryberry.com. We’re suitably delighted to be able to recognise him on these pages!