Masters
Hall of Honor Inductees
Doc Watson - Born March 3, 1923
For more than four decades Arthel (Doc) Watson's clean, melodic flat-pick lead guitar style inspired and profoundly influenced many younger players, helping establish the guitar as a lead instrument in bluegrass. Watson grew up near Deep Gap in the western North Carolina mountains, surrounded by family and friends playing old-time music. Though sightless, he learned guitar styles ranging from fiddle tunes to blues and popular country music. After years of performing locally as a "rockabilly" electric guitarist, he began recording and touring as an acoustic "folk" artist in the early 1960s, quickly reaching headliner status. Doc's son, Merle, accompanied him on guitar until Merle's death in 1985. While not representing himself as a bluegrass performer, Watson earned respect in bluegrass for his guitar mastery, rich, expressive vocals and invigorating harmonica and "clawhammer" banjo playing. Doc Watson's discography of several hundred recordings includes a stunning version of the instrumental, "Black Mountain Rag" and favorites such as "Deep River Blues," "Little Stream of Whiskey," "The Train That Carried My Girl From Town," "Tennessee Stud" and "Little Sadie."
Back to Hall of Honor Inductees
|
 |
 |
