Doug Orlando is a Hammond Artist and keyboardist whose musical journey spans more than four decades of worship, recording, original music, classic rock, and live performance.
Doug began his musical life as a drummer and percussionist in the Chicago area before moving to piano, Hammond organ, and synthesizers. His early years included performing in Chicago-area bands and developing a love for the expressive possibilities of keyboards—particularly the Hammond organ. Over time, his musical path increasingly intersected with church programming and worship ministry.
From 1995–2004, Doug performed extensively at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, playing keyboards for weekend services, midweek programming, special events, men’s ministry, and other church productions. Those years helped shape an approach to ensemble playing that continues to guide him today: listen first, support the arrangement, leave room for the other musicians, and use the keyboard to strengthen the song rather than compete with it.
After relocating to Arizona, Doug continued serving churches throughout the Phoenix Valley. He currently plays keyboards through Worship Support Network, supporting worship teams at churches across multiple denominations, musical styles, and church environments. Playing with different worship leaders, musicians, systems, and congregations has reinforced a philosophy that has become central to his ministry and teaching:
Serve the song. Support the worship leader. Point people to Jesus.
Doug’s playing combines the character and expression of traditional Hammond organ with the textures and flexibility required in contemporary worship. His current Hammond instruments include the Hammond XK-5, M-Solo, and SK Pro 73, which he uses for worship, live performance, recording, training, and content creation.
In addition to worship ministry, Doug performs with Just Us, a corporate and special-event band playing classic rock, blues, soul, and keyboard-driven favorites for conferences, corporate events, and private functions. The group’s repertoire gives Doug another opportunity to draw on the Hammond, piano, synthesizer, and ensemble traditions that influenced him throughout his career, with music ranging from artists such as Chicago, Santana, Deep Purple, Journey, Aerosmith, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bad Company, Eric Clapton, and others.
That broader performance experience complements rather than replaces Doug’s worship focus. Moving between contemporary worship, Hammond-driven classic rock, blues, and live event music continually challenges him to listen, adapt, serve the arrangement, and bring the right sound to the right musical moment.
Doug is also a songwriter and recording artist. He has written and recorded five albums of original music, many of the songs created and recorded with his wife, Francie Orlando. Music has long been an important part of their life together, and Doug continues to revisit songs from his earlier catalog while writing, recording, and producing new material through Doug Orlando Music.
Through his YouTube channel, Doug shares worship-keyboard training, Hammond techniques, Sunday Keys setups, gear ideas, live performances, original music, and lessons learned from real church settings. His goal is to help other keyboard players become more confident musicians while learning the musical restraint, listening skills, adaptability, and servant mindset that strong worship-team playing requires.
Doug has also been featured on The Worship Keys Podcast, where he shared the story of his musical journey, his path to becoming a Hammond Artist, and the importance of remaining surrendered to God while continuing to grow in musicianship and ministry.
Whether he is behind an XK-5, M-Solo, SK Pro 73, piano, synthesizer, or modern worship-keyboard rig, Doug continues to approach music with the same priorities that have shaped his playing for decades: pursue excellence, listen to the musicians around you, leave space for the rest of the team, serve the song, and use the instrument to support something greater than yourself.”
