Kyle Douglas (Gypsy Lightning) first began playing the electric guitar at the age of 11 years old. His main inspiration for continuing to play was the motivating and encouraging force that was his mother. His influences early on were mainly electric blues guitarist such as Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Carlos Santana. But as he progressed in age and technique, he switched to playing the acoustic guitar, more specifically
the nylon string acoustic guitar.

Throughout adolescence came the interest in heavy metal, funk, ragtime, swing and jazz.
Down the line, he found his main inspiration for what is now what he refers to as his “style”; gypsy jazz. Django Reinhardt was a gypsy jazz guitarist in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s who had significant impact on American guitarists.
At the age of 20, Kyle discovered his style via a guitar magazine at his local supermarket.
“Of all the guitarist in the magazine; Eddie Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix, Tony Iommi, Django Reinhardt was the only one who played acoustic instrumentals, originals as well as covers, all while in a suit and smoking a cigarette. The inspiration felt so natural to me.
But Django is beyond me, beyond any player.”

He began gigging and networking throughout local cafes, coffee shops, bars, and different venues to perform his original compositions. He records, digitally as well as physically, and is currently making the rounds on his local circuit as well as Chicago.