Jack Douglas, the producer behind Aerosmith’s 1970s breakthrough and John Lennon’s “Double Fantasy,” died at 80 in Paramus, New Jersey, after complications from lymphoma, his daughter Sarah said. Born in the Bronx in 1945, Douglas rose from a Record Plant janitor to engineer on the Who’s “Lifehouse” sessions before shaping rock’s biggest hits. His early stint as a Beatles‑obsessed traveler on a cargo ship shaped his relentless pursuit.

His work on Aerosmith’s “Toys in the Attic” (1975) and “Rocks” (1976) delivered chart‑topping singles such as “Walk This Way,” “Sweet Emotion,” and “Back in the Saddle,” cementing the band’s commercial appeal and driving record‑sale spikes that kept Columbia Records profitable through the decade. Douglas also discovered Cheap Trick and produced the Patti Smith Group’s debut, expanding his revenue streams across genres and securing publishing deals.

Beyond his catalog, Douglas prized novelty, insisting each project differ from the last, a mindset that kept his productions fresh and marketable. His final Aerosmith collaboration arrived in 2012 with “Music From Another Dimension!”—a nod to the sound that originally propelled the band’s sales. Douglas leaves a legacy that still fuels royalties and reissues for major labels, and influencing new generations of rock producers today.