Anslem Douglas | |
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Douglas in 2010
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Born |
La Romaine, Trinidad |
July 23, 1964
Nationality | Trinidadian |
Occupation | Musician, composer |
Years active | 1980—present |
Notable work | "Doggie" (which was later covered by the Baha Men as "Who Let the Dogs Out?") |
Anslem Douglas (born July 23, 1964) is a musician and composer from Trinidad and Tobago, most famous for the hit single "Doggie" later covered by the Baha Men as "Who Let the Dogs Out?"
Douglas was born and raised in the village of La Romaine in the southern part of Trinidad.
Douglas started singing at his local Pentecostal Church and, at age 16, along with a few of his friends in the church, formed a band called Exodus.
In 1984, Douglas enlisted in the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard where he served for a period of six years. During this time, he performed with the Coast Guard band.
Douglas later, after he was introduced to Trinidad's native genre, soca, performed with some local bands out of Trinidad such as Fire Flight (with whom he recorded his first song in 1988) and Atlantik. During this time he composed Ragga Poom Poom, Good Music To Dance, and the hit single Who Let the Dogs Out? which went on to win a Grammy in 2001, although the most well-known version of the song outside the Caribbean is the cover version of the song sung by the Baha Men. Douglas also wrote Friend on the Soul Island album and Ooh Ahh, the smooth jazz hit produced by Eddie Bullen and written by Douglas on the same record, to the social outrage of Abuse featured on his Sir Anslem Douglas album released in 2000.
In 2001 Douglas was sued and lost a lawsuit with regards to full authorship of the song Who Let the Dogs Out? The chorus was originally composed in 1995 by Patrick Stephenson and Leroy Williams of Just Platinum Recording Studios/Action House Studios in Toronto, Ontario, Canada for a radio jingle. The lawsuit showed that Douglas was a client of the studio during that time, and that he used the chorus to compose the song. The lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed sum.