Doug Seegers, photo by Annelise Loughead

Doug Seegers, a Middle Tennessee artist with quite a story to tell, will perform at Gallagher Unplugged on Saturday, Jan. 15.

Seegers’ honesty comes from decades of pain. Waking up one morning under a bridge, hungover and wondering what went wrong, he threw away the bottle and pipe. He had the courage to ask for help. This act of being humble opened the door to a local food pantry and homeless shelter pointing a Swedish film crew his way. This film crew then recorded his heart-wrenching song “Going Down to the River,” which has received nearly 3 million listens on Spotify. This song went to No. 1 on Swedish iTunes and reserved Seegers a seat on his first-ever airplane ride to go perform in front of sold-out crowds in Europe at the ripe age of 60-something.

Many can relate to elements of Seegers’ life. His music video “Angel From a Broken Home” hits right to the heart of his trauma. There was not a dry eye on-set while making that video, according to crew members. The story stems from the singer’s father abandoning him at the age of 8, leaving him with nothing but Hank Williams discs and a broken heart.

In 2018 Thomas Nelson published Going Down to the River, a book written by Steve Eubanks and Doug Seegers telling the story of a miraculous journey filled with courage and perseverance, reminding readers how to love and be loved.

Doug Seegers’ Saturday, Jan. 15 show at Gallagher Unplugged begins at 7 p.m. Gallagher Unplugged is located at 118 N. Walnut St., Murfreesboro. Find tickets on Eventbrite.