Born in Brooklyn, Brian Doherty began seriously playing drums at the age of seven. Growing up in the badlands of New Jersey, he paid his dues by playing at parties and in pubs. In the early days of his career, Doherty spent time weaving in and out of day jobs to make ends meet between gigs. He was even a classroom teacher in The South Bronx. Then there were the endless auditions and the very close calls with mega groups like R.E.M., Ani DiFranco, The B-52s, and the British group, The The. Doherty looks on the bright side mentioning that R.E.M. did not hold open auditions when drummer Bill Berry left. Brian was one of only three drummers invited to Athens, GA to audition. They jammed for two days and had a really good time together. Of course, getting the gig would have been better, but having been invited will always be a giant feather in his cap.

After graduating from music school, Brian immediately launched his career when he began touring with Jonathan Butler (opening for Whitney Houston) and jazz pioneers like Noel Pointer and Lonnie Liston Smith.