Arthel Lane “Doc” Watson was born on March 3, 1923, in Stony Fork, North Carolina, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Despite his passing in 2012, his music remains highly influential more than a decade later. During his career, Watson was arguably America’s most beloved folk musician and is now viewed as one of the greatest guitarists in American roots music. Watson’s musical journey began naturally, growing up in a large family that loved music. During the early 1960s, folklorists recorded music gatherings that featured various members of the Watson family, along with their neighbors and friends, celebrating their community’s musical culture through a shared repertoire of Appalachian ballads, songs, and tunes.
Watson is widely acknowledged for popularizing the guitar style known as flatpicking, which involves using a guitar pick to play rapid notes and chords. Many guitar players who have used a pick over the last six decades consider Watson a pioneer in this style. This includes roots music legends like Clarence White, Norman Blake, and Tony Rice, as well as contemporary bluegrass stars like Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle, and guitarists from other genres such as Bob Dylan, Ry Cooder, and Stephen Stills. Watson was also skilled in fingerpicking, a technique that involves plucking guitar strings with the thumb and one or more fingertips using fingerpicks or fingernails. His two-finger approach with fingerpicks is widely considered to be the pinnacle of the style.
Although Watson is widely remembered as a guitarist, he initially played other instruments. He first became fascinated with the harmonica until he was 11, when his father crafted him a fretless banjo made of maplewood and taught him the basics. At the age of 13, his father bought him a $12 Stella guitar. Watson fell in love with the guitar and practiced relentlessly. He eventually acquired a Martin guitar on a payment plan and played music on the streets of Boone, North Carolina, which was about 10 miles from his home, to pay for it.
Watson’s journeys to Boone and other distant places were challenging because he had been permanently blinded by an eye infection in infancy. Nonetheless, he did not let blindness deter him. During the Great Depression, his father ensured he contributed to household chores, including cutting firewood. At 23, Watson married his neighbor Rosa Lee Carlton, daughter of fiddler Gaither Carlton. The couple had two children, Eddy Merle Watson and Nancy Ellen Watson. To support his family, Watson did various odd jobs, including tuning pianos and performing music on the streets. In the early 1950s, he joined a country band based in Johnson City, Tennessee, which required him to play electric guitar. Watson played fiddle tunes on his Gibson Les Paul Goldtop with a flatpick during square dances with the band.
Watson might have remained a local sensation if not for a chance encounter. In September 1960, musician and folklorist Ralph Rinzler traveled from New York City to the Blue Ridge to document old-time music through informal recording sessions. These sessions, led by Clarence “Tom” Ashley, introduced Watson to Rinzler. At the time, Watson was playing an electric guitar and did not own an acoustic guitar, so he had to borrow one for the session. Rinzler’s recordings were released on a 1961 Folkways album, and Watson was soon recognized as an exceptional talent. He began touring the folk revival circuit with acoustic guitars, showcasing his extensive repertoire and unparalleled instrumental skill and tone.
Initially, Watson toured the U.S. with old-time ensembles led by Ashley, but he quickly became the star attraction. He captivated audiences with his musical talents, both as a vocalist and instrumentalist, and entertained them with anecdotes and quips. Watson’s management eventually started booking him as a solo act nationwide, including an appearance at the 1963 Newport Folk Festival.
Although Watson had previously played a wide range of musical genres including commercial country, blues, rockabilly, pop, jazz, and Broadway, his management initially encouraged him to perform music associated with Appalachian rural culture. However, as Watson broadened his on-stage repertoire, no one objected, and his fan base grew steadily. Watson understood that lasting success as a professional musician depended on appealing to younger audiences. After touring solo and recording his debut album, he decided in 1964 to include his son Merle, then 15, to reach younger fans. The father-son duo became a major concert attraction, recording numerous beloved albums for various labels.
Watson’s contribution to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s 1972 album “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” significantly increased interest in him and Merle. Known for their extensive repertoire of traditional tunes, songs, and ballads, they also embraced newer materials, coining the term “traditional plus” to describe their genre-blending performances.
After Merle tragically passed away in a tractor accident in 1985, Watson continued to perform “traditional plus” music with various collaborators, including bassist T. Michael Coleman, guitarist Jack Lawrence, multi-instrumentalist David Holt, and his grandson Richard Watson. Watson stated that his blindness had allowed him to concentrate on refining his musical skills. According to Coleman, Watson was fearless in many aspects of life, including performing live and improvising daringly in his music.