Producer Jack Douglas, famous for his work with Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Patti Smith, the New York Dolls and many more, has died at the age of 80 as a result of complications from lymphoma.
"He passed away peacefully on Monday night," read a short statement posted on Douglas's Facebook page. "As many of you who follow him know, he produced great music, and lived a colourful life. We know that he touched many of your lives; we would love to hear more about that in the comments. He will be missed."
Douglas was born in New York City in 1945. After moving to the UK in the mid-60s, where he performed as a folk musician, he returned to the US and became the bass player in Privelege, a hard rock band whose sole, self-titled album was produced by the Isley Brothers.
After training as a sound engineer, he joined the staff at the recently opened Record Plant studio in New York, where he worked on recordings by James Gang, Alice Cooper, Montrose, Mountain, Cheap Trick, The Who, John Lennon, Patti Smith, Blue Öyster Cult, New York Dolls, Starz, Aerosmith and many more.
Aerosmith were the band he was most associated with, with Douglas producing the band's 70s classics Get Your Wings, Toys In The Attic, Rocks and Draw the Line. He also worked on 1982's Rock In A Hard Place, before returning to guide 1998's A Little South Of Sanity, 2004's Honkin' On Bobo and 2012's Music From Another Dimension!
Douglas's relationship with Cheap Trick was almost as lengthy, with production credits appearing on various albums from the band's 1977 debut to 2006's RockFord. He also worked with John Lennon and Yoko Ono regularly, from Lennon's 1971 album Imagine to the final album the pair released while Lennon was still alive, Double Fantasy.
"Jack carried decades of success with humility and grace," writes fellow producer Warren Huart, who was mentored by Douglas. "He never acted like a legend, even though he absolutely was one. He treated people with respect. He listened. He cared. He gave so much of himself to the artists, musicians, friends, and family around him.
"There are producers who make hit records. Then there are producers who leave a lasting mark on people’s hearts and lives. Jack did both."
