Doug Levitt
Doug Levitt | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Douglas Levitt Scwartz |
| Born | December 30, 1971 Washington D.C. |
| Genres | Folk, Blues, Pop |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, piano. |
| Website | www |
Doug Levitt
Doug Levitt is an American singer-songwriter and author known principally for his seven-year project, The Greyhound Diaries. In 2004, Levitt set out on his first six-week journey by Greyhound and began writing songs and stories about fellow travelers, many struggling to get by. The journey, modeled on WPA-era pro-jects that drew a fuller portrait of America, is ongoing, passing 70,000 miles at the end of 2011. Levitt has been featured by CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, Billboard and Reu-ters. The Greyhound Diaries has resulted in a book, an EP recording, a one-man show, and a web series. Prior to embarking on his long journey, Levitt was a foreign correspondent. Based in London, he dispatched from Iran, Rwanda and Bosnia for, among others, ABC and NBC.
Life
Levitt is the youngest child of former Washington, D.C. City Councilmember and mayoral can-didate Carol Schwartz and husband David Schwartz. He attended the Washington, D.C. public schools, graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School. When Levitt was 16, he discovered his father dead from suicide, an experience he’s cited in interviews as instrumental in his path to-ward becoming an artist.
Education
Levitt attended Cornell University, where he was a student of the late-astrophysicist and author Carl Sagan. He later received a Fulbright Scholarship and earned his masters in International Relations at the London School of Economics.
Career
While in London, Levitt switched careers, from foreign correspondent to singer-songwriter. Moving to Nashville in 2001, he hooked up with noted Americana producer David Henry, known for producing records for Josh Rouse and Guster. The two began what would become a long-term collaboration on The Greyhound Diaries. Over the course of Levitt’s travels, he has captured more than 10,000 images and has performed the work at The Kennedy Center, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and homeless shelters across the country. Produced by David Henry, the record includes the contribution of Steve Bowman, founding member of the Counting Crows, on drums. His long journey forms the basis of a feature biopic in the works. The film is said to center around his own struggle with his father’s suicide and the stories of people he’s met in transit.
Records
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Books
2008 Greyhound Diaries: Eastbound Edition, Dogged Pony/Rvive Press
References
The Kennedy Center, Millenium Stage Broadcast February 29, 2012 NBC4 Washington, the Mid-day News at 11, February 27, 2012 The DCist, The Doug Levitt Interview February 28, 2012 MSNBC, The Dylan Ratigan Show, December 16, 2011 Sometimes Daily, Amanda Congdon Show, June 30, 2009 The Gloria Minott Show / MetroWatch, WPFW, Pacifica Radio November 24, 2010 Southern California Public Radio, KPCC “A Bus Ride with Private Simmons,” May 20, 2008 Billboard, April 19, 2008, p.34 Capitol File, “Doug Levitt: Power Musician,” April, 8, 2008 MTV, “Greyhound Diaries: Eastbound Edition,” Blurb/Abstract. April, 4, 2008 Greyhound Diaries: Eastbound Edition, Dogged Pony/Rvive Press, April 2008 The Aquarian, John Fortunato: “Doug Levitt Leaves the Driving to Greyhound,” March 14, 2008 Malibu, “Doug Levitt, The Greyhound Diaries,” magazine March 8, 2008 Scripps Howard, “Songwriter Gives Voice to Greyhound Bus Riders,” February 8, 2008 The Wall Street Journal December 23, 2007, p. W3 CMJ, “Doug Levitt Takes the Bus,” December 7, 2007 Doug Levitt: “Pall of the Pollocrats,” The Huffington Post, November 2007 The Kojo Nnamdi Show, Public Radio International, WAMU/Washington, DC November 20, 2006 CNN, CNN Morning, Aircheck, November 4, 2006 Fox News, Fox & Friends, Aircheck, November 4, 2006 Reuters Television, September 8, 2006 Mary Huhn, The New York Post - Music Section, June 8, 2005 LA Weekly, “Red Blue and Blank,” January 5, 2005 Washington City Paper, “If This Bus is Rockin’,” November 5, 2004 The Washington Post, Style Section, Reliable Sources, November 4, 2004
External Links
Official Website: www.douglevitt.com www.greyhounddiaries.com