Events

Sherman “Tank” Doucette & TANKful of BLUES

Sherman “Tank” Doucette grew up surrounded by music in the small Canadian city of North Battleford, Saskatchewan. From his dad on guitar and banjo, to his brother’s strumming, to the voices and dancing of his mother, sisters, and aunts—and his grandfather giggin’ and jiggin’ on the harmonica—music was always part of the household. Doucette inherited his grandfather’s harmonicas, and in the summer of 1969, he and his best friend hitchhiked west to Vancouver, driven by an adventurous spirit and a desire to play wherever he could.

In Vancouver, he honed his craft performing wherever opportunities arose—even in the city’s strip bars—learning from experienced emcees and soaking up the energy of the blues scene. A formative moment came when, at seventeen, he saw John Lee Hooker perform at the Commodore Ballroom, an experience that would leave a lasting impression and eventually lead to Doucette sharing the stage with Hooker on five occasions—a career highlight.

Tragedy struck in 1977 when a workplace accident left Doucette with third-degree burns over fifty percent of his body. After months of recovery and learning to walk again, he emerged stronger than ever, earning the nickname “Sherman Tank” and embracing the motto: “Music saved me.” Music became his life’s work, and by age twenty-three, he had fully dedicated himself to performing and touring.

Over the years, Sherman Doucette has shared the stage with blues legends including John Lee Hooker, Albert Collins, Pinetop Perkins, Long John Baldry, James Cotton, Jim Byrnes, Gordie Johnson, and John Primer. He played with the Grand Slam Blues Band, expanding his knowledge of soul and horn arrangements, and later formed his own band, INCOGNITO, which became one of Vancouver’s hardest-working and most respected blues acts from 1981 to 1999, releasing three independent albums and touring extensively across Canada.

After moving to Kelowna to raise his family, Doucette formed Sherman Doucette and his Tankful of Blues, a band dedicated to keeping audiences dancing with upbeat blues inspired by Sonny Terry and other blues greats. He is also an accomplished studio musician, performing on commercials for Labatt Beer, McDonald’s, and Growers Cider, as well as appearing on CBC and CTV.

When he’s not performing, Doucette is an avid collector of antique harmonicas—a passion that began in the early 1980s with a gift of a 1910 bass harmonica. Today, his collection numbers over seven hundred diatonics, chromatics, crank, and uniquely shaped harmonicas, complete with vintage cases and displays, a testament to his lifelong dedication to rhythm, tone, and the blues.