Studied at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks (1966-?)

During the winter of 1967 in Fairbanks, Douglas Herring wrote down the words to his song ''Alaska'' on the back of a matchbook. This song later became the title song for Alaska, The Musical, which was first performed in California in 1982, and for which he was best known.

In 1966 he had spent the summer working as a pastry chef in the lodge at Denali National Park, and had composed a classical trilogy, Denali Suite. That winter he enrolled at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks and performed his own songs with a group called Styrofoam Mountain People.

Herring lived in Alaska from 1966 to 1973, residing in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau. He worked several sessions for the Alaska State Legislature, living in Juneau off and on from 1968 to 1972. He also toured the major cities of Alaska with fellow musicians under an Alaska State Arts Council grant. During off hours he could often be found playing piano at local churches.

A champion for individual freedom who encouraged participation in government, Herring was an active member of the Ad Hoc Organizing Committee of Young Democrats. He was elected both caucus chairman for Juneau and convention chairman at the Democratic District Convention in Sitka in 1972. He also led the Southeast Delegation to the Alaska State Democratic Convention in Fairbanks that year.

Herring's work on Alaska, The Musical brought him in 1976 to southern California, where he completed many musical productions and more than 100 songs. He played piano and sang in many prestigious hotels and clubs in the Los Angeles area, including the Century Plaza, Bonaventure and L'Ermitage hotels, as well as the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and Queen Mary.

His career came to an abrupt end in Los Angeles in 1986 when an unknown assailant stabbed him in the heart. A brain injury occurred as a result of blood loss, permanently incapacitating the songwriter and artist. Struggling to recover, he attended Coastline Community College's Traumatic Brain Injury program and the Betty Clooney Center for Persons with Brain Injury.

In 1990, at Rosemary Clooney's annual concert, ''Singer's Salute to the Songwriter,'' in support for the Clooney Center, Herring was honored by hearing for the first time his Denali Suite performed by the concert's 50-piece orchestra and arranged by Peter Matz.

Douglas F. Herring died of AIDS in Costa Mesa, California at the age of 47 on May 28, 1995.

- adapted from Anchorage Daily News obituary

WORKS:

MUSICAL THEATRE

Alaska, The Musical
Produced in Santa Barbara, CA (1982)

INSTRUMENTAL

Denali Suite ("a classical trilogy")
for: ?
date: ca. 1966
performed: arrangement for 50-piece orchestra by Peter Matz, benefit concert for Betty Clooney Center for Persons with Brain Injury, 1990

SONGS

Alaska
Cheechakos At The Eskimotel
Dancing
Gee Haw Dance
Hollywood
I Went To The University
Last Frontier
Living In The Real World
Make Believe Me
Not Used To Loving Him
One Love
One More Race To Win
You Deserve To Be Free

UNCOMPLETED WORKS:
Unknown

WRITINGS:
Unknown

DISCOGRAPHY:
No professionally released recordings

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

• Obituary, Anchorage Daily News, August 12, 1995.

PERFORMING RIGHTS AFFILIATION:
BMI (as Doug F. Herring)

RESOURCES:
Unknown

MUSICAL EXECUTOR:
Unknown

OTHER CONTACTS:
Unknown