Born Frederick Douglas Shorts and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Doug grew up surrounded by music. He came from a deeply musical family and was inspired early on by his six uncles, all excellent singers. Although they wouldn’t let young Doug sing with them, their rejection lit a fire in him that would never go out.
Doug was a member of several vocal groups, starting with The Mannequins, his high school group. Right out of high school, he joined Dakar Records’ recording group The Visitors. After a short tour, he left to form his own unit. While studying at the Jerry Butler Songwriters Workshop, Doug was mentored by legendary producer Calvin Carter.
In 1974, Doug and a group of friends formed Master Plan Inc., a self-contained funk band. They recorded for Brunswick Records, and their tune “Something to Be Done” became an underground soul classic. Master Plan Inc. toured the Midwest and Canada throughout the ’70s and ’80s before disbanding.
In 2012, Doug Shorts returned as a solo artist, releasing music on Cherries Records, Daptone Records, and his own label, Yawl’s Music Productions. His single “Get With the Program” opened many new doors and gained him fans around the world.
As a result of this renewed success, 2025 is shaping up to be a strong year, with new releases coming via Love Touch Records (Toronto), Funk Night Records (Detroit), and Yawl’s Music Productions (Chicago).
Doug also has an ongoing collaboration with Chicago underground rapper Robust. Together, they’ve created several genre-blending tracks. Their single “Life Ain’t Eazy” was released in April 2025 on the Yawl’s label.
