| Doug Ashdown | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Douglas Wesley Ashdown |
| Born | 1942 (age 69–70) |
| Genres | rock, folk, country |
| Occupations | singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 1959–present |
| Labels | CBS, Philips, Sweet Peach, Billingsgate, Festival, Infinity, Ash, Larrikin, NashWest, Roadshow |
| Associated acts | Col Joye JAM |
| Website | dougashdown.com |
Douglas "Doug" Wesley Ashdown (born 1942, Adelaide) is an Australian folk, country singer-songwriter who had a minor hit with "Winter in America" aka "Leave Love Enough Alone", which reached No. 13 on the Dutch Singles Chart in 1978. In 1988 the song was covered by Dutch singer René Froger, and in 1994 by Australian group The Robertson Brothers. Ashdown reached No. 53 on the Australian Go-Set Singles Chart with "The Saddest Song of All" released in August 1970. In 1977, his album, Trees won the TV Week, an Australian television entertainment magazine, King of Pop Award for 'Best Album Cover'.
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Douglas Wesley Ashdown was born 1942 in Adelaide, South Australia, at the age of 17 he travelled to England to play in a rock band. In 1961 he was back in Adelaide and played guitar alongside Bobby Bright as vocalist in The Bowmen.[1] By 1965, as a solo singer-songwriter, he released his first album, This Is Doug Ashdown. His 1960s popular singles were "Something Strange" in 1968, and in 1969, "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On" (cover of the Jerry Lee Lewis' hit).[2]
In 1970 he signed with the independent label, Sweet Peach, and issued "The Saddest Song of All" in August which peaked at No. 53 on the Australian Go-Set Singles Chart.[3] The song was written by Ashdown and Jim Stewart, who became his long-term producer and co-writer.[4] The associated album, The Age of Mouse, was the first double LP album of original material released by an Australian.[1] Ashdown and Stewart relocated to the United States, living in Nashville. While in Nashville, the pair co-wrote "Just Thank Me",[5] for David Rogers, who released it in 1973—it peaked at No. 17 on the US Country Music Singles Chart.[6] They also co-wrote "Leave Love Enough Alone" which Ashdown released in 1974 upon relocation to Sydney.[7] He had a minor hit with it when it was renamed as "Winter in America" and released in 1976, it peaked at No. 14 in Melbourne and No. 30 in Sydney.[2]
In 1977, his album, Trees won the TV Week, an Australian television entertainment magazine, King of Pop Award for 'Best Album Cover'.[8] He continued to release singles and albums and had minor chart success into the 1980s.[2] As from April 2010, his most recent album was The Folk Centre Concert in 2007.