After bars closed, musician changes tune to pursue truck driving

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — While many people are looking forward to going back to work on Lower Broadway, one musician decided to move on by switching careers.

For more than a decade, Doug Littlejohn performed the honky tonk bars as a bass player, but when city and state orders forced them to close last month, he was also forced to stop and think. Littlejohn, who also picked up photography to supplement his fluid income four years ago, changed tunes to pursue a career as a truck driver.

"I'm 44 and I'm becoming more cognizant of 54, 64 and 74. I don't know if I could do this and I mean by that is play the rest of my life," Littlejohn told NewsChannel 5. "It's kind of a gut punch, really, and made me reassess where I am in life and what my goals are in life."

He already began the process to obtain a commercial driver's license because he's not the "kind that's going to sit around and wait for the money to come." While there are efforts to reopen the economy in Tennessee, there are uncertainties on how bars, the music and tourism industries will bounce back.

Littlejohn said his decision is bittersweet since music was a part of his identity, but he admitted making money was never a priority. Having your income completely wiped out can change that mentality, and he hopes to fast-track the process once offices reopen.

"If I jump in and love it, then I started a new career. If I hate it, then I'm only out a year and I'm debt free," he said.

Meanwhile, he began selling some of his equipment and gear so they can find a new home. Like many others, Littlejohn struggled with the unemployment process and called it a "fiasco." It's still unclear if he qualified. He moved to Hopkinsville a few months ago, which means he's ineligible for unemployment in the commonwealth.