Kirk Douglas Gibson SG Signature

Captain Kirk Douglas fell in love with the guitar before he even had the chance to hold one. “There was a music store in the town where I grew up called Family Melody,” says Kirk Douglas. “I used to just gaze at the different guitars they had in there. Being able to hold one and try to play one felt so out of reach for me.” Growing up in a Jamaican household on Long Island proved to be an inspiring atmosphere for a kid fascinated by music. “My parents would play reggae classics of the day, alongside melodic ballads by the Commodores and Bee Gees.

Sunday mornings would always be Bach and Handel playing. But at school from 8am to 3pm it was a world dominated by Rock and Roll. KISS, Van Halen, Ozzy were in heavy rotation at the time. I soaked it all in from home and school. When my parents broke down and got me an electric guitar (a one pickup baby strat from a company called Memphis) my world was never the same.” By the time his teens rolled around Kirk’s tastes grew to appreciate Motown and Zeppelin. Then Living Colour and Fishbone and then bands likethe Smiths and the Cure. All while trying to figure out how to get the guitar to make the sounds and songs like the bands mentioned.

After moving into New York City, Kirk made connections with fellow musicians and found himself playing with over 10 bands at one time, which provided Kirk’s biggest musical education. Playing with a wide array of musicians of various styles and approaches this led to a few chance meetings with the Roots. After being recommended to them by many sources Kirk auditioned for the band and got the gig that would alter the course of his life. Since joining the Roots, many dreams have been fulfilled including getting to tour the world playing music, playing guitar with his childhood musical heroes and recording an album of his own with his solo band Hundred Watt Heart.

Kirk is currently in midst of making the follow up to his last album Turbulent Times, all while simultaneously playing with the Roots on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and working on what will be the next Roots album. “I feel extremely fortunate to have a place to channel the joy and frustration of the human experience,” explains Kirk Douglas.

“Music has always given me that gift. A way of processing the world that just leaves me feeling better about life itself.”

Tune-in on Wednesday, February 20 at 6:30pm CT to watch a live interview with Kirk Douglas
 on Gibson TV, Facebook and Instagram.