Who's making the Music!

Douglas Whitney Fielder

Douglas started playing "folk guitar" and early Beatles songs in the mid 60's. He took lessons at Johnny Smith's 8th Street music shop in Colorado Springs, CO. Those lessons did not teach him how to play, but the finger exercises he learned stayed with him as he taught himself to play the songs of the era. Peter, Paul and Mary, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, The Beatles and The Stones along with numerous artists on American Bandstand, Hullabaloo Scene, Shindig and Where the Action Is!
By his 20's he had become a singer/songwriter laying down the tracks of his own life on the beaches of Southern California with friends and acquaintances, musicians from every walk of life. After a nearly 30 year hiatus working to raise a family in northern New Jersey, he reimagined his musical journey in the early 2000's, playing bass in a small rock group. After moving back to Southern California in 2008, he joined forces with some local street and park performers to play what they classified as "Americana" music. By 2012 the beginnings of the Moonlight Ramblers evolved, with numerous staffing changes, the group evolved into a recognized entity in North San Diego County. After relocating to Kansas City (his birthplace) to be near family and seek a more laid back lifestyle, Doug has blossomed into a prolific songwriter and artist. Reviving the Moonlight Ramblers in 2020 to build his dream of playing locally, he has been involved with the latest iteration, Moonlight Ramblers of KC since the beginning.

Quality, not quantity

"I have made quality a habit. It’s not something that I strive for – I live by this principle every day."

Original Moonlight Ramblers of KC

The original group of players started out with members of the Meetup Group, Acoustic Music Jam, hosted by Kendal Smith. The group added a few new players as rehearsal began in earnest. Our weekly basement rehearsals grew into twice weekly and we longed to emerge from the basement with a fully formed group that could perform any kind of public venue. Our dream came true the following spring when we played our one and only "Garage Driveway Party" at Pinebrooke Condominiums in Overland Park, KS.