In Memoriam: Douglas Grigsby

We have sad news to report today as bassist and music director Douglas Grigsby has passed away from complications following a stroke he had in September. He was 57 years old. His wife shared the news on a GoFundMe page.

“As of Wednesday, February 17th, after a long hard fight, sadly our Doug passed away,” she wrote. “Even though Doug is well known in the music community, mostly as Teena Marie’s bass player and musical director, he is loved a million times more by those that truly know him. I never realized until this happened just how much love there is for Doug. It is amazing!! It is incredible! It is a HUGE BLESSING! I have always been proud of my husband, but I’m even more proud of him. He truly has touched a lot of lives! We will forever miss him.”

Grigsby was born in New York City and spent most of his life in Philadelphia. He took to music very early in life, scoring a gig with Patti Labelle when he was just 13 years old. He would play with artists ranging from Schoolly D to Taj Mahal to Rick James through the 80s and 90s, also playing on sessions for George Howard, Michael Jackson, Teddy Pendergrass, and more. Many will remember him for his decades of work with Teena Marie, appearing on the album Passion Play among others. You can also hear him on the Phyllis Hyman hit “Don’t Wanna Change the World.”

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Douglas Grigsby.