16 Facts About Mike Doughty

Michael Ross Doughty is an American singer-songwriter and author.

Mike Doughty founded the band Soul Coughing in 1992, and as of The Heart Watches While the Brain Burns, has released 18 studio albums, live albums, and EPs, all since 2000.

Mike Doughty grew up on army bases throughout the United States, including Fort Knox, Fort Hood, and Fort Leavenworth, and spent his teenage years living on the grounds of the United States Military Academy at West Point where his father taught.

Mike Doughty came to New York City at age 19 to study poetry at The New School.

Mike Doughty broke up Soul Coughing in 2000 due to personal problems: He was wearying of the band, and he was addicted to opiate painkillers, heroin, and alcohol.

Mike Doughty was promptly dropped by Warner Brothers, and began traveling in a rental car playing acoustic shows.

Mike Doughty collaborated with BT on "Never Gonna Come Back Down" providing lyrics and vocals.

Mike Doughty remained without a label until, when playing the Bonnaroo music festival in 2004, Doughty bumped into Dave Matthews, a longtime Soul Coughing fan who had the band open for him on two US tours, including shows at Madison Square Garden.

Mike Doughty had been introduced to Wilson through their mutual artist manager, Jim Grant.

Mike Doughty has since released a number of follow-up albums.

Some of Mike Doughty's albums, including Circles, Super Bon Bon and The Very Best of Soul Coughing, Live at Ken's, and Stellar Motel, have used crowdfunding to finance their creation.

Mike Doughty has used Patreon to release a song every week for those paying $5 a month.

In 2012, Mike Doughty published a memoir called The Book of Drugs, covering his formative years as a musician, what he called the "dark, abusive marriage" that was Soul Coughing, and his experiences with addiction and recovery.

In 2014, Mike Doughty created a rock opera based on the Book of Revelation called Revelation.

In 2019, Mike Doughty mounted a US tour in honor of the 25th anniversary of Ruby Vroom in which he played the album in its entirety.

In May 2020, Mike Doughty published his second memoir titled I Die Each Time I Hear The Sound: A Memoir, which he wrote to expound upon his musical tastes and how they came to be.