Doug Manning – Bass/Vocals
Doug first start performing with a band in the 5th grade in elementary school. The band was called “The Avengers”. (The Avengers later changed their name to The Band of Oz) Shortly thereafter Doug moved to Whiteville,NC. Not long after arriving there a new band was formed called “The Sound Masters”. This name was dropped in high school and the group became known as “Infinity”. While still in high school this band played many paying gigs including a couple of clubs at North Myrtle Beach even though most of the band members were not old enough to get in.
In 1977 Doug moved to Raleigh, NC and yet again a new band was formed. This group, called “Carolina Trace”, had some minor success locally. Not happy however Doug, along with fellow “Carolina Trace” member Gary Dennis, decided to form a new Top 40,Beach and Showband using a couple of the guys from “Carolina Trace” and the members of a vocal quartet Dennis was part of in Chapel Hill called the “North Tower Quartet”. The group, formed in 1979, took the name “The North Tower Band”.
In 1990 Doug left North Tower to get a “real” job as it’s sometimes referred to. In 2011, after a more than a 20 year break, Doug has rejoined the band for one more ride. Not completely out of the music business during that 20 year span, he wrote several songs for others that enjoyed considerable airplay. Chasin Dreams for North Tower in 2005, So Hung Up on You for Gary Brown and most recently Thank Goodnness She Cheated which was recorded by The Entertainers. In addition to those, along with his daughter Taylor, Doug penned the tune Piece of Your Heart. This song was performed by Taylor and that tune plus several others recorded by Taylor have resulted in Doug now being known in the music business as “Taylor Manning’s daddy”! When not playing music or working, Doug is likely to be found sliding down a mountain, out on the lake with or watching his other daughter Casey play softball or cheer.