Kathy Douberly, a key part of the Fredericksburg music community, died on Sunday, Dec. 7, following coronary bypass surgery. Douberly was known to many musicians as the co-host of the Monday night open mic at The Colonial Tavern for decades with her partner Thom Schiff. She was also a lead singer in the band she and Schiff led, Ask Fred.
Monday, Dec. 8, only hours after her friends had learned of her death, the weekly open mic was full of fans and musicians wanting to share their grief and pay respects to a woman who meant so much to them.
“Some of the best local musicians were there,” local blues legend Gaye Adegbalola said. “I saw Bruce Middle and Jeff Covert was there. Jeff sat in and we did two songs together, and Pete [Mealy] and Laurie [Rose Griffith] were there. The place was packed. It was wonderful.”
Douberly sang backing vocals on Adegbalola’s 2008 album “Gaye Without Shame”. Adegbalola remembered how Douberly’s voice added to the sessions.
“I knew that Kathy was an excellent vocalist,” Adegbalola said. “I knew that she would be reliable and I knew that she would mesh with the other two singers. So you can’t get much better than that.
“Everybody thinks that backup vocals is an easy thing to do but the deal is you really have to hold your line and hold your notes and you really have to mesh with the other two singers. You have to do it just right. So the three of them got together and they did backup on three of my songs on the ‘Gaye Without Shame’ CD and they were excellent.”
Singer/songwriter Ralph Gordon was friends with Douberly since they were teenagers. He recalled how Douberly and her family encouraged kids to take up music and play at their local Methodist church.
Jennifer Dodge (left) with Kathy Douberly. (Photo by Carol Kramer)
“When I got into guitar her older sister taught Methodist Youth Fellowship at Ebenezer (UMC) and it was my way to get the hell out of my house,” Gordon said. “Kathy’s brother-in-law, her older sister Mary Anne’s husband at the time, would come over and pick me up and take me to these MYF things. One of the first places I ever played was in the basement of a church. That’s how I got into playing in public.”
It was this kind of mentoring and support for up-and-coming musicians that Douberly will be remembered by many. Jennifer Dodge was a regular for the last 10 years at the Monday open mic and was a close personal friend of Douberly.
“Kathy and Thom’s open mic has given birth to a lot of musicians in this area,” Dodge said. “And those musicians still come home to open mic randomly to play. There’s just a lot of love from Kathy and Thom and support for people who are interested in music and maybe don’t necessarily have that confidence to take that step on to a stage. They provided for many, many years — longer than I’ve known them — a space where you can test the waters and meet other musicians and maybe even collaborate with some people and start your own gig.”
Douberly was also very involved in community organizations. She served on the board of Downtown Greens and volunteered with HIV care with FAHASS. Events like Earth Day, Downtown Greens’ Downhome Ball, and Empowerhouse’s Open Bowl often featured Ask Fred and sound was provided by Schiff.
Douberly was a devoted mother and grandmother. Her son Adam and wife Amber performed with Ask Fred. She is survived by her three sons and six grandchildren.
“She was a treasure who will surely be missed,” Gordon said. “There’s a hole in the fabric of the universe today. She was the light of the open mic.”
