“…The music was the best part of that year in Tennessee We sang that country honky-tonk in three part harmony We had a local following that came to hear us play But I was slowly starving and I had to get away… …I left it all behind to try to get it all together And some day I’m gonna bring it all back home…” from “Leave Of Absence” Back in the winter of ’74, a young man named Doug, fresh out of college, moved to Nashville, Tennessee to try to ‘make it’ in the country music business. He didn’t have much of a plan, just wanted to see what would happen. Going through a variety of ‘day jobs’, he wrote songs, performed at writer’s nights, jammed with friends and acquaintances, and soaked up the atmosphere of Music City. He eventually met a guy named Gary. They formed a band called Dusty Roses and for “that year in Tennessee” they played at various small bars around town, but mostly at The Villager Tavern in Hillsboro Village just south of Music Row. Although popular with the local crowd, they weren’t making much money and the lifestyle was taking a toll on him. With sadness and disappointment he finally “left it all behind” in 1977 and moved to Tallahassee, Florida. Over the decades, he has continued to write songs and eventually started playing again at the local bars and restaurants. So now, with the release of ‘Leave Of Absence’, his debut CD of all original ballads, love songs, and instrumentals, Doug Jernigan finally “brings it all back home”.