New to Paramount+ this year: “Love, Tom,” a documentary featuring singer, songwriter and Oglethorpe alumnus Tom Douglas ’75. Recalling a conversation he once had with a fellow songwriter, Douglas takes a slow dive into his creative process, waxing sentimental as he recounts his life experiences — both happy and sad — that helped build him into the accomplished songwriter that he is today.
The documentary is structured around an acceptance speech Douglas gave in 2014 at the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. “Recently I received a letter from a young writer friend who was very discouraged,” Douglas begins, “He asked me, and I quote, ‘Why the hell am I here?'”
“Well truly heaven only knows, but I’ll try to help you find a few answers,” he muses.
Following Douglas from his front porch to his vintage Chevy pickup to his favorite Nashville haunts, the documentary is a meandering and nostalgic journey told in part through the songs the award-winning writer has helped create. In between stories about a childhood spent listening to the Beatles and how he met his wife, Katie, Douglas stops to perform the tunes that put him on the map, like Lady A’s “I Run to You” and Miranda Lambert’s “The House That Built Me.”
After graduating from Oglethorpe in 1975, Douglas went on to graduate from Georgia State University and work in advertising. After two years however, he decided to quit his job to pursue his songwriting passion, which would take him to Nashville and eventually propel him to nationwide acclaim.
Douglas has written for a number of A-list musical artists, including Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, Eric Church, Martina McBride, George Strait, Reba McEntire and Celine Dion. One of his first cuts, recorded by Collin Raye, made it to the country top 10 in 1994, peaking at #2.
After having written some of the most popular and influential songs of the last several years, Douglas shares his story in hopes of inspiring a new generation of creators.
“They say you write about what you know,” he tells viewers, “I’m telling you my story not because it’s the best one, it’s just the one that I know the best.”
Watch the trailer for “Love, Tom” below.
One night in Nashville with Tom Douglas. Learn more about his creative struggle, and how he continues to empower a new generation of creators. Love, Tom is now streaming on #ParamountPlus. pic.twitter.com/wCOTibJKWm
— Paramount+ (@paramountplus) February 26, 2022
