# Doug Ashdown

Douglas Wesley Ashdown (born 29 July 1942) is an Australian rock music singer-songwriter from Adelaide. He had a top 40 hit on the Australian singles chart with "Winter in America" or "Leave Love Enough Alone" (1976). It also reached No. 13 on the Dutch Singles Chart in 1978. Ashdown had reached the Australian top 50 with "The Saddest Song of All" (1970). In 1988, "Winter in America" was covered by Dutch singer René Froger, and in 1994 by Australian group the Robertson Brothers.

## Biography

Douglas Wesley Ashdown was born in 1942 in Adelaide, South Australia. At the age of 17 he travelled to England to play in a rock band. In 1961, he was back in Adelaide and played guitar alongside Bobby Bright as a vocalist in the Bowmen. By 1965, as a solo singer-songwriter, he released his first album, This Is Doug Ashdown. His 1960s popular singles were "Something Strange" in 1968, and in 1969, "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On", a cover of the Jerry Lee Lewis' hit.
In 1970, he signed with the independent label, Sweet Peach, and issued "The Saddest Song of All" in August, which peaked at number 46 on the Kent Music Report singles chart. The song was written by Ashdown and Jim Stewart, who became his long-term producer and co-writer. The associated album, The Age of Mouse, was the first double LP album of original material released by an Australian artist. Ashdown and Stewart relocated to the United States, living in Nashville. While there, the pair co-wrote "Just Thank Me", for David Rogers, who released it in 1973. It peaked at No. 17 on the US Country Music Singles Chart. They also co-wrote "Leave Love Enough Alone", which Ashdown released in 1974 after relocating to Sydney. He had a minor hit with it when it was renamed "Winter in America" and released in 1976. It peaked at No. 3 in Brisbane, No. 14 in Melbourne and No. 30 in Sydney.
In 1977, his album Trees won the King of Pop Award for "Best Album Cover" from TV Week, the Australian television entertainment magazine. Ashdown also worked with science fiction writer/songwriter Terry Dowling on recordings of Dowling's song-cycle "Amberjack", about a stranded time traveller. Ashdown contributed lead vocals and guitar to six of the tracks of Dowling's song-cycle, which were broadcast by the ABC in 1977.
He continued to release singles and albums, and had minor chart success into the 1980s. He co-wrote several original songs for the 1995 film Billy's Holiday.

## Discography
### Studio albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions :
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certification |
| Title | Album details | AUS | Certification |
| This Is Doug Ashdown | Released: 1965 Label: CBS (SBP 233283) | - | |
| The Real Thing | Released: 1966 Label: CBS (SBP 233317) | - | |
| Source | Released: 1968 Label: CBS (SBP 233516) | - | |
| The Age of Mouse | Released: 1970 Label: Sweet Peach (SP 12001) | - | |
| Leave Love Enough Alone | Released: November 1974 Label: Billingsgate Records (L35294) | 38 | AUS: Gold |
| Trees | Released: September 1977 Label: Ash (BGLP 1001) | 98 | |
| Empty Without You | Released: 1977 Label: Festival Records (L35832) | - | |
| The World for the Right Kind of Man | Released: 1983 Label: CBS (SBP 237882) | - | |
| Love Lives | Released: 1986 Label: Larrikin Records (LRF207) | - | |
| No Cheap Grace | Released: 1995 Label: Roadshow Music (17510-2) | - | |
| Homesong | Released: 2001 Label: Sleeping Dog) | - | |

### Live albums

List of live, with selected chart details :
| Title | Album details |
| Doug Ashdown Live | Released: 1971 Label: Sweet Peach (SP 501) |
| Doug Ashdown and Friends Live – The Blues and Then Some | Released: 2001 Label: Sleeping Dog |

### Compilation albums

List of compilation, with selected chart details :
| Title | Album details |
| Really and Sincerely | Released: 1999 Label: Sleeping Dog A 70-minute collection of 1967-69 studio out-takes and rarities |
| A Career Collection 1965-2000 | Released: 2000 Label: Raven Records (RVCD-132) |

### Charting singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions :
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album |
| Year | Title | AUS | Album |
| 1970 | "The Saddest Song of All" | 46 | The Age of Mouse |
| 1976 | "Winter in America (Leave Love Enough Alone)" | 37 | Leave Love Enough Alone |
| 1981 | "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" | 40 | The World for the Right Kind of Man |

## Awards
### Australian Record Awards

| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 1975 | Leave Love Enough Alone | Easy Listening Male Album of the Year | Won |