Jerry Douglas

Born in Warren, Ohio, USA, in 1956, Jerry Douglas developed his Dobro and lap steel technique at an early age, placing him at the heart of American bluegrass and country scenes. Professionally active from the early 1970s, he first gained attention in modern bluegrass groups before joining J.D. Crowe & The New South and later the family band The Whites, while building a prominent career as a Nashville studio musician. From the late 1980s onward Douglas also established himself as a leader, recording a series of instrumental albums that blend bluegrass, country, folk, jazz and blues influences — including Fluxology (1979), Slide Rule (1992), Lookout for Hope (2002), The Best Kept Secret (2005), Traveler (2012) and What If (2017). A long-time member of Alison Krauss & Union Station, he has participated in numerous collective projects and collaborations, ranging from traditional Appalachian music to forays into pop and rock. In the 2010s he founded The Earls of Leicester, a group dedicated to the repertoire of Flatt & Scruggs, and he has continued working as a producer and arranger, maintaining a steady link between bluegrass heritage and more contemporary explorations.