Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, Slash and several other rockers took to social media to commemorate the life and career of producer Jack Douglas, who died Monday at the age of 80.
“We are mourning the loss of Jack Douglas, the legendary producer whose talent and passion shaped our sound and changed our lives,” Aerosmith said in a social media post. “Jack was a brilliant artist and collaborator who inspired us in profound ways and left an indelible mark on the entire music industry. We celebrate his life and epic career and feel so privileged to have known him and to benefit from his remarkable skill and friendship. We are heartbroken for his family, but find comfort in knowing how much he loved his life and work. We are so proud and grateful to be part of his legacy.”
Aerosmith collaborated with Douglas on four consecutive ’70s albums: Get Your Wings, Toys in the Attics, Rocks and Draw the Line. The producer helped the rockers refine their sound and expand their songwriting, and the albums they made together achieved multi-platinum success and catapulted Aerosmith to stardom.
READ MORE: Aerosmith Albums Ranked Worst to Best
Who Else Paid Tribute to Jack Douglas?
Douglas’ family posted a posthumous note on the producer’s own Instagram account announcing his death. The comments are flooded with other rockers who spoke fondly of Douglas’ work and remembered their time collaborating with him.
“Above all, Jack was really fun to work with,” Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton wrote (via his wife Terry Hamilton’s account). “He got us to work really hard without it feeling like working. He was open to ideas from all directions & open to trying almost anything. He had a great off the wall sense of humor. He was unique & a huge source of inspiration! Always loved the guy, always will.”
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Robin Zander of Cheap Trick (whose self-titled debut album was produced by Douglas) also chimed in: “Jack Douglas was a good friend and a musical mentor towards me. Not many had better ears than him. He is the only person that decided to take a chance on me, signing me to his independent label back in 2022.”
Zander also referenced two of Douglas’ most famous collaborators: John Lennon and Yoko Ono, whose 1980 Double Fantasy album Douglas co-produced. “One time we were in the studio and he told me a story about recording the Double Fantasy album with John Lennon,” Zander wrote. “After working as a recording engineer/tape op during John’s early solo work, John asked Jack to produce Double Fantasy with him and Yoko. When Jack asked John why he chose him to produce, John said, ‘Good antennas,’ and pointed his fingers to his ears.”
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Drummer Matt Laug, who currently plays with AC/DC and previously worked with Alanis Morissette and Slash’s Snakepit, also shared a Lennon-related anecdote about Douglas.
“My absolute favorite story that Jack told me was when he had John listen to a playback in the studio while he ran to the bathroom with the notion that he would be back in time before the end of the song,” Laug wrote. “There was something lying on the floor at the entrance of the bathroom so Jack attempted to jump over it, but jumped too high and clocked his forehead on the top of the doorframe, which knocked him out cold.
“Meanwhile, John is wondering where Jack is and set out to find him — which he did, laying face up at the bathroom doorway. John said, ‘Jack! Are you ok? What happened?’ When Jack regained consciousness he looked up and saw John Lennon looking over him and asked, ‘Am I in the Beatles???’ [To] which John replied, ‘Well, of course you are, Ringo!! Now get up! We got a show to do!’ God bless you, Jack Douglas.”
Longtime David Letterman band director Paul Shaffer remembered Douglas’ early days, writing, “Here’s to the Liverpool Set, Jack’s first band from Saint Catharines, Ontario, who played Thunder Bay in 1968. I’ve been a fan since then. RIP.”
Slash paid tribute to Douglas in his own Instagram post, writing: “RIP Jack, you were one badass mofo, honored to have known you. You will be missed my friend.”
Revisit Jack Douglas’ career highlights in our list of the Top 10 Jack Douglas albums:
Top 10 Jack Douglas Albums
Jack Douglas was a guy who liked to be in the room where it happened — and he helped make a lot of music happen during his career as a recording producer and recording engineer.
Gallery Credit: Gary Graff
