Russell McDougall

Russell has been performing since the late '60s. He formed acoustic duo, Mac 2, in the early '70s with Iain McLennon (later drummer with Richard Clapton Band and Ariel), and they released an album on the local independent Audico label run by Brian Rippon..

As a solo artist in Newcastle the early '70s, Russell often played support on the bi 2NX-sponsored concerts, performing with the Hollies, Brian Cadd and the Bootleg Family, Kerri Biddell etc. He recorded the theme song for the Mattara Festival in 1972; and he enjoyed some success with the single 'It's Too Much' in 1974, recorded at ATA Studios and released on EMI through Alberts' Productions.

He left for Europe after that, busking in Russia and in the London tubes, and in the early '80s he moved to Kingston, Ontario, where he also continued to perform on and off for a year or two.

Throughout the '90s Russell provided vocal and guitar for the acoustic blues-and-roots trio , the Missing Years, playing around the New England area. The Missing Years also included Ian Johnson (lead, slide guitars and harmonica) and Jill Griffiths (stand-up bass).

Ian began playing in England, jammed around the exciting musical community of Ithaca in the U.S. of A. He met up with the English blues and folk guitarist Martin Simpson there, and began playing with Russell around 1992.

Russell has also played with Bruce MacKenzie, who was with Newcastle band Tashery in the early '70s, and who for the past 15 years as been a member of the popular Maxwell Street Blues Band (for which Russell was briefly vocalist in 1991).

Also worked with Stephen Phillip (ex-Do Re Mi), in a recording collaboration called 'Op Zoom'.

John Chisholm