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Short Bio Doug Manring is a unique guitar stylist, a multi-instrumental musician/composer, and independent artist/producer who has been based in Tokyo for many years. He has recently returned to the U.S. to pave some new musical roads for himself. Doug was born in 1958 in Norfolk, Virginia. Largely self-taught, he began playing the drums at age eight, guitar at age thirteen, and spent his high school years playing in various rock and jazz bands. After studying art, psychology and education, Doug worked as a preschool teacher in Bethesda, Maryland while continuing to perform with bands around the Washington D.C. area. In 1985, after traveling to Japan, he decided to relocate there. In the fourteen years he has lived there, he has performed in many of Japan’s major cities, appeared on national television and in film, performed on and produced various recordings, both as a feature artist and as a session player, as well as maintaining an ongoing list of independently produced projects, mostly out of his own studio. Long Bio
The Manrings moved to a suburb of Washington, D.C., in 1969 and Doug joined his first band in sixth grade. As he moved through a succession of groups throughout his teenage years, he was keenly aware that as much as he enjoyed playing the drums, he had a passion building for the electric guitar he could not ignore. At age thirteen, he got his first guitar, but for several years he just played on his own as he pursued his primary musical activities as a drummer. Playing mostly hard rock in the tradition of Led Zeppelin, Doug took private lessons to expand his drumming technique to play a variety of styles. With his brother, the renowned bassist Michael Manring, this versatile brother rhythm section kept themselves busy throughout their high school years playing everything from 70’s rock classics at beer parties, to lofty experiments in jazz/rock fusion, to pop standards suitable for restaurants and wedding receptions. Out of high school, Doug worked as a store clerk and paid his dues drumming with a number of bar bands, while quietly starting to develop his budding compositions on the guitar. Though his principal desire was to play music for a living, it was felt he should first pursue his natural skills in drawing and photography. After studying at the Corcoran School of Art in the late seventies, he reached a turning point. Knowing that he preferred musical and performing arts over visual arts, he transferred to the Northern Virginia Community College and studied drama, psychology and early childhood education. He also decided to come out of his shell as a guitar player.
In the following years, he has worked a day job as a preschool teacher to allow himself to pursue his musical whims without any financial pressure. This too, has been a trail-blazing move. Not only was he the first ever Westerner to be employed as a Japanese preschool teacher, but the first Western male to break into to this area of the Japanese society. He is therefore quite fluent and experienced with practical Japanese, both written and spoken. He has always been an active man of many interests and a relentless creative spirit…he is an accomplished scuba diver, photographer, wood worker, and movie buff.
© 2001 Doug Manring |
At this time, he had rediscovered one of
his seminal influences in rock music, The Who, and he emerged as an aggressive and
stunning guitar showman in the tradition of Pete Townshend. Initially by default, he found
himself thrust into the role of lead vocalist as well, something he had done occasionally
as a drummer, but found it a particularly satisfying addition to playing guitar. Through a
succession of trios mostly, he spent the early 80’s honing his vocal delivery, his
confidence as a guitarist, and began performing his own compositions. He also started
actively recording his music with his bands as well as on his own.
While he pursued his
diversifying musical interests, he worked as a preschool teacher in an international
program based in Bethesda, Maryland. In 1983, on the invitation of some of his foreign
exchange families, he visited Japan for the first time. Absolutely awed by this
experience, he vowed to return, quite possibly to live. As if by divine coincidence, it
was then that he first heard the brilliant guitarist 
It was unquestionably an auspicious move
that involved him in a steady string of professional and semi-professional projects.
Within just a few years, he performed in many of Japan’s major cities (Tokyo, Nagoya,
Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, and Sapporo), appeared on Japanese national television and in film,
performed on and produced various recordings for The Rittor Music Company and NEC Avenue
Records, both as a feature artist and as a session player, scored a movie for The Nikkatsu
Film Corporation, as well as maintaining an ongoing list of independently produced
projects, mostly out of his own studio. They include several solo albums, and some
other album projects produced and/or engineered for friends.
Despite his varied
accomplishments in Japan, he began to feel increasingly restless and concerned that his
music was no longer getting enough of his attention, and by the late 90’s, he became
aware that his musical pursuits would probably best be served back in the US. With the
support of loyal friends, he was able to make the difficult transition back and now stands
poised and ready to share his musical gifts and message, perhaps to take part in and
welcome a new sound for a new century…