Doug swam for local teams, coached by his dad, and took up the guitar at an early age. He was playing gigs by age 15. He graduated in absentia from Permian High, where he lettered in swimming, attended Odessa College, married his 1st wife, Darelle Robbins, and moved to Austin, pursuing his music career. For a while, he had a contract with Holiday Inn, traveling the US, playing in their hotels.
After moving to Dallas, he played at Chelsea Street Pubs across Texas, did studio work, and married his 2nd wife, a West Texas girl, Patty Wood. Doug composed, produced and sang jingles and post-scores in Dallas, Ft Worth and Austin. During this time, he made a jingle for Tom Thumb Grocery that ran for 10-15 years on the radio, wrote a jingle for Maybelline, and many others jingles.
While living in Austin, he played the Cactus Café, many places on 6th Street, and the Saxon Pub. He was a member of several bands starting with Sweetbriar when he was 18.
Doug married his 3rd wife, Ellen Haines, whom he met in Austin and took back to Fort Worth with him, before they moved to Nashville, where he had a contract with EMI to write music. He signed with Powel music group. Highlights included playing with Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Garth Brooks band as the house act at the Wildhorse Saloon. Doug played one night at the fabled Blue Bird Café and produced jingles with Willie Nelson, Michael Bolton and Marc Cohn in New York City. While Ellen worked on her master's degree at Vanderbilt University, they joined a church, went on a mission trip to Costa Rica and bought a house on the Cumberland river. After his mother Wilma died, they moved back to Texas and bought a house on Lake Buchanan near Burnet.
Doug was playing various gigs in the Hill Country where he married his 4th wife, Andrea Long, did a tour in Tokyo with Tapestry, then started playing regularly at Canyon of the Eagles Resort on Lake Buchanan.
This spring, Doug developed tracheal cancer and continued his work as long as he could. His struggles are now over. He’s singing in the heavenly choir! Doug’s family is especially appreciative of his dear friends Gib Shackleford and Randy Brown for their unflagging help and support through thick and thin.
Proceeded in death by his parents Lenord and Wilma Day and brother Glyn L. Day.
He is survived by his dog Jackson, his sister DeAnna Day Hargis Phillips of Austin; his niece and her husband Kellie James Bourne and Richard Bourne of Wylie, TX; his nephew Wood Hargis and wife D’Anne Hargis of Pflugerville, TX; his nephew Sam Hargis and wife Ann Hargis of Kenosha, WI; his nephew Glyn Leonard Day and wife Diane of Overbrook, KS; his niece Denise Neeb and husband Phillip Neeb of Lubbock, TX; his niece Kim Arnold and husband James Arnold of Lubbock, TX, and many great nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Highland Lakes SPCA,
https://www.highlandlakescaninerescue.org in Doug Day’s name.
Please check out Doug’s music on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLm7Q6K5BfrjgRvNagtdNx7Eg1bpKndZOf
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