Tom Doughty who plays his own unique style of acoustic lap guitar

Tom first started playing the guitar when he was a child. Apart from being shown a few chords by his elder brother, Tom was self taught. He initially, learnt his craft through interpreting what he heard on records and later through watching other guitar players. As an early teenager, Tom had become an accomplished finger style guitarist and recalls playing the Davey Graham tune ‘Angie’ at a school concert. He was, and still is avid listener and admirer of other musicians. Early influences included Renbourn and Jansch, Martin Carthy, Nic Jones, Big Bill Broonzy and Led Zeppelin.

In a road traffic accident in 1974, Tom permanently became a disabled person. His impairment also affected his fingers and prevented him from playing music. He recalls the frustration of creating music in his head but not being able to hear it in the air. With the tenacity and creativity of a new explorer, finding ways to work around his limits of hand movement, Tom has discovered how to return to being a musician. He has developed absolutely new and unique techniques for playing slide guitar, with a sensitive touch and full of feeling.

So started a continual journey to return to the passion that is his craft. Tom can truly be described as having a unique method of playing lap slide guitar. This man’s music is free again, full of expression and range, and makes addictive listening. Tom has recently released his first Album, ‘The Bell’ to critical acclaim and is playing regularly again in public. He was featured on The Paul Jones show on Radio 2 in December 2003, but with so much music inside him, defining him as an Acoustic Blues guitarist is too small to convey the range of moods and styles in his playing. Established slide guitarists such as Debashish Bhattacharya and Bob Brozman are fans of Tom’s music, finding it both expressive and refreshingly original.

A Slightly longer version with minor chords

Tom was born and raised in Frodsham, Cheshire, England. Then a sleepy village surrounded by fields, Frodsham hill and the prime messing area The Marsh, which was by the Manchester Ship Canal and River Weaver. His Dad was a desert rat and his mother was a hamster. Or was it village Blacksmith and Parish Counselor, just can’t recall. Tom also has an older brother, Chris.

When he was about six, his mother bought Tom an old minstrel outfit guitar from a jumble sale and the die was cast. He just picked it and learnt to play, almost without instruction. A few chords from his brother via Bert Weedon. Tom’s musical interests developed through pop, folk and blues styles and he developed into a spot ridden youth. By then he had picked up mandolin playing, girls and other instruments. Apparently, he was the sort of jammy get who could get a tune out of an old chicken carcass and a push bike inner tube. He was doodled out for the school concerts, the old people’s Christmas parties, the village wife tossing competition and anything else including the Local Folk Scene at the back of the Queens Head in the old stables. Not having transport, Tom played locally but also teamed up with his brother, who drove a Cortina and played guitar around the North West , occasionally guesting at Folk Clubs and the like.

In 1974, Tom was an apprentice, into everything: music, dinghy sailing, fast motorbikes, average teenage stuff when he crashed his Kamikaze 500cc on the way to work, suffering a permanent spinal injury. A process of what he describes as being reborn then commenced. Life with different parameters, altered values and challenges, but above all a life! One that was continuing and was suddenly more precious than before, but nevertheless, one from the position of paralysis-with limited arm movement, without hand movement or leg function. From then, always with a wheelchair for mobility.

It didn't’ really stop the bugger though; it just curtailed him in some ways and allowed him to grow in others. You would not believe just what this man has got into since; the list is comprehensive, bordering on ridiculous. However, the spinal injury did put his guitar playing to rest for some time. About 10 years to be precise. He was bugged by keeping guitars on walls, silent. He was bugged by incessant tunes in his head and the pleasure of making them up, the love of listening to music, of mentally transposing what he heard. Inspired by the first time listening of Leo Kottke L.P.’s when visiting Heidleberg, Tom decided he had to find a way to make his own music again. So taking the challenge head on as usual, Tom relearnt how to play, in a new and unique style. The process is on-going, but Tom’s music is admired by many people including such slide guitarists as Bob Brozman, Debashish Bhattachyra and Kevin Brown. Despite his lack of movement, this man retains enormous precision, dexterity and ultimately, musical communication through his fingers.

In 1999, he appeared at a workshop held by Woody Mann at the Wirral International Guitar Festival and it was apparent that Tom had thrown himself into a peer group of musicians and was making music again. High after the experience of realising that he was playing the guitar amongst others he confessed to being scared shitless at the prospect of not being able to do it. ‘I play like no one else, but then we all play like no one else, we just use what we have, what we know: our ears, heads, hands and hearts’.

Since then Tom’s music has grown from strength to strength. He plays acoustic lap music and has a love of those old resonator instruments made in the 1920’s and 30’s. He has traveled all over playing and has been an annual visitor to New York since 2000 where he attends the International Guitar Seminar run by Woody Mann and Bob Brozman. Both Woody and Bob think very highly of Tom’s musical talent both have become friends. Tom recently launched his CD ‘The Bell’ at a joint concert with Woody in November 2002 at Northwich, England .

Tom’s music is mainly blues based but there are influences in there of almost everything he has listened to from being surrounded by music as a child and loving the absorption of it.