Artist:Doc Watson
Song:Mama Don't Allow No Music
Album:Memories
Arthel "Doc" Watson is one of the giants of bluegrass guitar and along with Chet Atkins & Merle Travis is a major influence on folk & country guitar techniques. He was born Mar. 3, 1923 in Deep Gap, NC. The Doc nickname came from a radio announcer who thought Arthel was a weird name. An illness caused blindness at an early age. He learned to play banjo & guitar as a teen. He performed regionally through the 40s & 50s. He finally got national acclaim when he came to New York in the early 60s. Doc signed with the Vanguard folk label and his appearance at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival stole the show. His son Merle Watson started touring with him and Doc & Merle Watson were a staple of the folk circuit for years until Merle's death in 1985. Doc left Vanguard for United Artists in 1972 and got a lot of attention when he was featured on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band album Will The Circle Be Unbroken. In recent years he has recorded for the Sugar Hill bluegrass label. Memories is actually a collection of his 70s UA recordings rereleased by Sugar Hill. The recordings were produced by Merle Watson & Chuck Cochran. Doc Watson still records occasionally and has cut back on his touring. His grandson Richard Watson plays guitar with him on stage and Doc hosts the annual MerleFest in Wilkesboro, NC as a tribute to his late son. Just to give you a taste of Doc Watson's musicianship, here he is performing Deep River Blues in 1964.
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