Doc Watson - Rare Performances 1982-1993
Doc Watson is a legend in acoustic music, with a unique style influenced by his traditional Appalachian folk music roots, blues, country, gospel, and bluegrass. Despite being blind since infancy, Doc has been making music his whole life and is considered by fans everywhere to be one of the world s most accomplished flatpickers. Arthel Lane Doc Watson was born in Stoney Fork Township, NC, on March 3, 1923 surrounded by music. His mother sang traditional and religious songs, and his father played the banjo. Doc s first instruments were a harmonica and a homemade banjo, but he soon showed a talent on the guitar. After receiving his first guitar from his father, Doc started playing both family favorites and new material he picked up from records and the radio with neighbors and family. Doc s talent developed to the point where he supported his family through the 1950 s playing music and tuning pianos. His main occupation was playing electric guitar in a country dance band with pianist Jack Williams, but he also continued to play traditional acoustic music with his friends Tom Clarence Ashley, Clint Howard, and Fred Price. A performance with Ashley, Howard, and Prince at Union Grove, North Carolina in 1960 brought Doc together with folklorist Ralph Rinzler. By 1961, Rinzler had arranged for Ashley, Howard, Prince, and Doc to perform in New York City for a Friends of Old-Time Music concert, and one year later Doc performed solo for the first time at Gerde s Folk City in Greenwich Village. For the next several years, Doc made the folk music circuit, playing concerts all over the country and appearing at the 1963 Newport Folk Festival and with Bill Monroe that same year at New York s Town Hall. Although the popularity of folk performers had waned by the mid-1960 s, Doc continued to tour extensively with his son Merle playing backup guitar and serving as manager and driver. In addition to thousands of concerts, Doc has recorded dozens of albums in his long career. Since his son Merle s death in 1985, he now only performs occasionally. For the last six years, Doc has hosted the annual Merle Watson Memorial Festival in Wilkesboro, NC on the last weekend of April.