Page 150 - July ONLINE VERSION

Q & A Gordon Perry, into allowing us an hour at the end tech.
of the day to play. We had a proper sound system.
“I’m a musician, not a technician man”, Moose re-
Paul Jackson from Bells ran our PA system (public
address system), it was the first time we played live
with a sound system and monitors.” members responding.

with “On stage in the gym, we played, “Johnny B Goode”, However, they would not take no for an answer, they
knew Moose’s talent with a guitar. His personality
as the last song in the set. When Tony Canaday
would ensure their music was perfect every time
Moose Douglass started everyone was on their feet dancing, they just they played. Fortunately, Moose worked for a man
who could not let him miss this opportunity and
thought it was the best thing. Just like we were high
By Tammy Yosich school heroes.” Savage covered Brian Adams, Thin ensured him that he would always have a job to re-
turn to. With the blessing of his boss, Moose chased
Lizzy, Ted Nugent, but also we had wrote original
songs.” his dreams with Full Devil Jacket. Moose’s dad was
substantially less pleased with this decision, while
In 1982, Savage won the local Cecil’s Bandstand’s his mother, an understanding musician, said, “Go
“Battle of the Bands” contest. They won free music for it. Do it! Do it!”

Since the 1970s, guitar technician Keith “Moose” Douglass has been a musician in numerous bands. Moose is lessons from Cecils’ Bandstand. The group would
responsible for maintaining and setting up guitars for the group; including stringing, tuning, and adjusting elec- travel from Brownsville to Jackson for the lessons. They toured with big bands like Creed, Type-O
tric guitars and acoustic guitars, tuning guitar amplifiers, and other related electronic equipment such as effect On one Saturday as the guys were engaged in their Negative, Fuel, and so many others. Moose met
pedals. A guitar tech must have the skills to play the instrument and tune it correctly. Douglass learned most of lesson, Carl Perkins dropped by. other band crew members and tour managers. After
his guitar tech skills by working in a range of music, sound engineering, and instrument repair jobs. the dismantling of Full Devil Jacket, Moose, using
Moose was heavily influenced by his mom, Susan Coppedge Joyner. His mom played nearly every day in the liv- Moose remembers, “Carl Perkins walks in and we the lessons he learned, went on to tour with major
ing room, dubbed the music room, because of its dedication to musical instruments. Moose earned his nickname were all in shock. He sat down on a stool and started bands as their guitar tech. His finely tuned, stage
in high school by performing what he calls, “moose calls” to his friends delight and his teachers’ displeasure. playing guitar with Chuck McGill. Afterward they ready guitars sparked his passion and fire. Moose
The name has since stuck. just sat and talked. I was too embarrassed to go over has since perfected the guitar tech profession.
and tell him, “Mr. Perkins I want to play guitar just
like you.” This was a highlight of my youth even if I ZGP: Who were some of your musical

ZGP: How did you get into music? “And it just came to me naturally, not that I’m an couldn’t muster the courage to meet him.” influences?
“Growing up in Brownsville, Tennessee in the 70s, amazing shredder or anything like that but growing “I wanted to play like Thin Lizzie and not just
my mom would play the piano in the living room. up with her rhythm and how she would stomp and “However, just like the Brian Adams, “Summer of like Jail Break and some of their more popular
It could hardly be called a living room because it play piano. My mom was the bomb. She was unbe- 69”, after high school Savage members got either got tunes but like Black Rose, that might not have got
had bongos, guitar, and my mom’s favorite upright lievable. She inspired and supported me throughout married or moved away. Tony, quit and moved away as much airtime but had so much melody. I was
piano; it was the music room. I remember my mom my life and career.” and Ray our drummer got married. At the time, it into a lot of funk, like Ohio Players, thanks to my
playing the outro to Eric Clapton’s Layla. seemed to be the end of my music.” mom’s records. Oh, the Isley Brothers, “Climbin’
In 2015, Moose lost his mom in 2015 and wishes he Up the Ladder,” it was such an awesome groove
could have recorded with her. He wanted to cover However, when Moose moved to Jackson, Tennessee man Years later I finally
She would nail it repeatedly. Hearing her play Layla a Chicago song, where she was on piano and he is everything began to open up. He met more musi- learned that riff, well decent enough to play it, ya
with passion and precision, I got the fever for learn- coming in with a rad riff, but they never got around cians in a bigger city. Jackson is home to legendary know. I was influenced by several sounds, the Dob-
ing the piano, yet not as deeply as I had for the gui- to it. musicians including Carl Perkins, Denise LaSalle, bie Brother. Man, what a big influence, I love them.
tar. My mom was my first teacher in music and life. Big Maybelle, and John Kilzer. Big bands such as Steely Dan, another big influence.”
She would teach me chords and an uncompromising “But yeah, that is where it all started, right there Jonathan Singleton and the Grove, Full Devil Jacket,
pursuit of my dream. As I got older, life took over with my mom.” and Lanier & Company also called Jackson home. “One of the things so influential about these guys
and I fell out of music for a while, but her mentor- was the production quality, that is a big thing. I real-
ship and example remained.” ZGP: Where did you go musically from In the late 90s, Moose played music with Josh ly love music that is done the simple, old school way.
there? Brown, Keith Foster, Jonathan Montoya, Mike Music like Steely Dan was done on tape, so warm
In the 80s, Moose returned to his musical roots “In Brownsville in the 80s, it was difficult to find Reaves, and Kevin BeBout, in several projects. Those and rich.”
when he heard his friends play guitar. It inspired musicians. So, in high school, we formed the band guys went on to form “Voodoo Hippies.” They were
him to take it up again. “Savage.” Our first venue was Haywood High School. later renamed, “Full Devil Jacket” obtaining a record
As 10th and 11th graders we talked our principal, deal. They asked Moose to tag along as their guitar Continued Next Page

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