Mike Dougherty - ProfilesArchive

About Me

Mike Dougherty is a musician in the Washington, D.C. area who specializes in acoustic steel-string fingerpicking music. His original guitar compositions incorporate many different strains of American music: blues, folk, country, ragtime, jazz, rock, etc.. Syncopated rhythms, melodic content, texture, and space are also present. Mike's musical background can only be described as diverse and eclectic. He has evolved from folk strummer, to electric blues-rocker, to acoustic roots musician, to instrumental fingerpicker and slide guitarist. Mike studied privately with several excellent local teachers, and studied fingerpicking and slide with Steve James and Jorma Kaukonen. As a performer, Mike has played private parties, weddings, clubs and restaurants, festival and city functions, and coffeehouses. Since 2003, Mike has temporarily withdrawn from performing to concentrate on composing, recording, teaching, and fatherhood.The new release, BETTER SLOW DOWN (2005), is a collection of eight original compositions for solo acoustic guitar.[UPDATE: The new cd is now availabe to purchase through iTunes. Also, I now have seven songs available for download at Download.com (just go to folk, contemporary folk, then finger-picked guitar). Finally, the new cd is still available to purchase on CD Baby.com. Enjoy.]

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 10/20/2005
Band Website: cdbaby.com/cd/mikedougherty2
Band Members: Solo musician
Influences: Leo Kottke, John Fahey, Jorma Kaukonen, John Cephas, Steve James, Peter Lang, Dave Ray, John Koerner, Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, Doc Watson, Blind Blake, Rev. Gary Davis, John Hurt, Warner Williams, John Jackson, Larry Johnson, Blind Willie McTell, Charlie Patton, Dave Van Ronk, Blind Willie Johnson, Tampa Red, Robert Johnson, Ry Cooder, Lightnin' Hopkins, Skip James, B.B. King, Albert King, Freddie King, Mike Bloomfield, Duane Allman, Jo-Ann Kelly, Lowell George, Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Elizabeth Cotten, Guy Van Duser, Danny Gatton, Roy Buchanan, Eva Cassidy, Jack Casady, Mose Allison, Jelly Roll Morton, Dr. John, Professor Longhair, Allen Toussaint, Dave Alvin, Chris Smither, Paul Rishell, Joe Pass, Herb Ellis, Miles Davis, Tim Hardin, Fred Neil, Steve Cropper, The Band, Hank Williams, Mele Haggard, the Louvin Brothers, Tony Joe White, and I almost forgot Muddy Waters. I honestly could just go on and on and on!
Sounds Like: Leo Kottke, John Fahey, Peter Lang, Jorma Kaukonen
Record Label: none
Type of Label: None

My Blog

New CD Finally Available!

Hello everyone. My new cd, Southern Comfort, is now available. I posted the link in the band website area. I hope you get a chance to listen. I am a happy man. Mike...
Posted by Mike Dougherty on Fri, 12 Oct 2007 07:15:00 PST

My Musical Journey Through Autism

The new CD is finally here. It looks good, sounds good. I just mailed them to CD Baby, and hopefully it will be available soon. I would like to shed some light on the compositions, a...
Posted by Mike Dougherty on Tue, 02 Oct 2007 08:02:00 PST

Not your typical PR

The other day I was listening to Lindsey Buckingham's new cd, Under The Skin, and the first track, "Not Too Late," hit me hard. He goes on to sing..."what am I doing any...
Posted by Mike Dougherty on Fri, 27 Jul 2007 01:23:00 PST

New addition, new project, and other news

Hi. I'm pleased to announce that I now have a new baby girl! She's almost two months old and her name is Maggie. She's happy, healthy, and hopefully will inspire a whole lot of music. Also, I'm ge...
Posted by Mike Dougherty on Thu, 30 Nov 2006 11:54:00 PST

More tunes available at download.com

I've just made four more tunes available at download.com. It's older stuff- recorded back in early 2004 when I was primarily playing covers. There are times when I wince listening to these songs, bu...
Posted by Mike Dougherty on Fri, 19 May 2006 11:45:00 PST

Please read before requesting to be my friend

I have to say that I hate the majority of contemporary music producers, engineers, corporate record labels, radio stations, and all the other nonsense associated with them. I...
Posted by Mike Dougherty on Fri, 05 May 2006 01:04:00 PST

Five American Masters

I think all musicians should have a sense of the past. In fact, it should be mandatory. It gives your music "legs" and multiple dimensions. I mean, why build rock music on rock music when you ...
Posted by Mike Dougherty on Fri, 06 Jan 2006 12:49:00 PST

Dirt=Beauty=Imperfection

I wish there was a little more dirt in modern music. Everything is so clean. Actually, it's everywhere. The perfect face, the perfect smile, the perfect spouse, the perfect kids, the perf...
Posted by Mike Dougherty on Wed, 04 Jan 2006 11:10:00 PST

What is Good?

What is good? I have to say I really don't know anymore. I hear so much talk from friends, musicians ( including myself), and strangers about what is good that I just have to laugh because it all co...
Posted by Mike Dougherty on Mon, 02 Jan 2006 08:02:00 PST