Deciphering Doc Watson: A look at his life and influences.

Links mentioned in the video
Playlist of Doc Watson's Most Recorded Songs
open.spotify.com/playlist/1s3...
When the Roses Bloom in Dixieland (recording from Doc Watson Legacy)
• When the Roses Bloom i...
Doc Abrams recording of "Blind Boy" Watson performing Precious Jewell at Boone Fiddler's Convention (1943)
omeka.library.appstate.edu/it...
Doc & Merle: An intimate documentary
• Video
Doc & Rosa Lee Watson: Love til the Twelfth of Never (produced by Willard Watson III)
• Doc & Rosa Lee Watson ...
Tradition Plus: The Doc & Rosa Lee Watson MusicFest 'n Sugar Grove
• Tradition Plus: The Do...
Arthel “Doc” Watson was one of the greatest guitarists the world has ever seen. His lightning-fast guitar licks and smooth baritone voice earned him international recognition and 8 Grammy awards. When he emerged on the national music scene during the Folk Revival of the 1960’s he was billed as a pure folk artist who learned his repertoire from his forefathers on the front porch. While Doc performed many songs passed down from family, he also learned songs from the radio and records. In this talk, we will explore Doc’s life, influences, style, and look at his legacy. This lecture will be a mix of music, film, family stories, and ethnomusicology.
About the Speaker
Willard Watson III is originally from Fayetteville, North Carolina, Willard moved to Boone in 2008, but his roots run deep in Watauga County. His great-grandfather and namesake, Willard Watson I, was a well-known toy carver, moonshiner, and dancer. Willard has a Masters in Appalachian Studies with a concentration in Sustainability and a Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Development both from Appalachian State University. Willard’s academic and volunteer passions intersect on the topic of cultural preservation and community development through the creative arts.
From 2010-2014 he was an organizer of the Doc & Rosa Lee Watson MusicFest ‘n Sugar Grove. During his tenure at the MusicFest Willard was able to develop a relationship with Doc & Rosa Lee and spend time with them until their passing in 2012.

[@donclemons7637]

Outstanding video. I attended Appalachian State University in Boone North Carolina. I was there in 1986 when Merle died. I had the privilege of hearing Doc & Merle in 1981 at ASU. It was the greatest concert that I’ve ever heard. Doc was a true legend. Thank you for sharing all of this information. RIP Doc & Merle

[@175epi]

Thanks for this. When I first started playing guitar 40 years ago, I listened to everything, and could name many players in all styles whose work I admired. One day, my uncle lent me his copy of "Elementary Doctor Watson," and a new guitar hero entered my world. Learning how to pick a few of his tunes increased my love of his music, and after all these years -- even though I still listen to everyone and everything -- Doc is tops, in my book.

[@billybudd45]

Doc was awesome

[@moocat11]

Very good

[@cyclotherapist]

That was a really lovely overview of docs life and his music. I was tremendously influenced by his playing and I still miss him. Thank you so much for this good piece of work!

[@James523001]

I first met Doc in 1968 at a folk festival in St. Louis, and ran into him and saw him perform many times over the years. Later, I had the pleasure of playing music with him and some of his friends around Boone and in Virginia. My last conversation with him was approximately a year before he died, on the day Boone celebrated him by dedicating the statute to him on King Street. He was a brilliant musician and friend, and it was an honor to have known him. On another note, somebody once asked him, reflecting on the awkwardness of the name 'Arthel' as a stage name, "Well, what else could they have called you other than 'Doc'?" and he answered with a wry smile, "How about 'Art'?"

[@BlowingRockArtHistoryMuseum]

Can you imagine, Art Watson coming up in the folk revival in the 60's? I can't shake the image of him sporting a beret and a goatee.

[@georgefenning4844]

Excellent presentation. Good content nice delivery.

[@robertshorthill6836]

Having played bluegrass music with some damn talented musicians, I learned a capo was used to allow open strings to ring, thus contributing to instrument sustain. It was not considered a "cheater" by bluegrass guitarists, who used a capo very often. Doc, Tony Rice and Norman Blake, three of the very best guitarists of their era, all used capos in their careers. The reason will become apparant by listening to the guitar and the sustain of the open strings during a lead break. I no longer play much guitar, but lean more on mandolin where a capo is not used. A mando has no need for one as a player has 4 fingers, a mando has 4 pairs of strings, and some shapes are repeats as one moves up the fret board for various keys.

[@BlowingRockArtHistoryMuseum]

Great point, I had not considered the value of the capo for letting the strings ring out. Thank you for watching and the thoughtful comment.

[@ClarenceJWTR]

What an incredibly detailed and great video!!!!! Thank you!!!

[@mikelisacarb]

Wonderful overview of an amazing artist! You did a great job presenting the highlights of Doc's career.

[@dogsigh]

thank you

[@EclecticLily]

Very interesting and well done. I just discovered Doc Watson yesterday!!! Love Thoughts of Never....

[@BlowingRockArtHistoryMuseum]

Thank you for watching! Doc left us with a wealth of material! There are few Doc-umentaries available on youtube as well.

[@jubileeflymusic]

Thank you so much! A wonderful presentation. I'm so glad you included Rosa Lee. I'm so enamored by his love for her I wrote a song about it. Cheers

[@honestj820]

Hello how are you doing..?

[@gavingrant6755]

As a guitar player who has become antiquated with Doc's work over the last year of my life, thanks for the presentation! I am hungry for the history of this man, the legend, Doc Watson. You've taught me so much and I appreciate the time and energy spent making this!

[@Ozmulki]

Thank you as I’ve just discovered this genius. I’m going to hear everything he did now.

[@redfishroger1982]

I grew up in Spruce Pine, NC and I often heard he played on the street. I don't know if that was true because I was a few years behind him. He was a great singer and guitar player. Thanks for this video.

[@BlowingRockArtHistoryMuseum]

Thanks for watching! Doc did busk on the street regularly in his youth. They say life is a two way street, well he would busk for change in front of the Five and Dime and decades later the town built a statue of him playing on the opposite street corner.

[@redfishroger1982]

@@BlowingRockArtHistoryMuseum This was great you really did a good job putting this together.

[@rorycorpuss]

well Done!!!

[@Mrsournotes]

Nicely done Willard! I’m a Willard too. Been a huge fan of Doc’s since late 60’s when my oldest brother introduced me to his music. Still trying to perfect Black Mount Rag on my Gallagher Doc Watson Signature guitar. Thank you!

[@tatonblue3031]

Thanks so much for doing this video! I'm a Montana boy and as long as I can remember, I have listened to Doc and Merle in some way or another!

[@Ozmulki]

Thank you . Very informative to know this as I only just discovered this genius.

[@BadAnalRim]

Thank you for sharing this, it was excellent to hear more about Doc from you. I discovered Doc when I was learning to play banjo, and saw/heard the Three Pickers video. I was blown away by Doc's voice singing "Down in the valley to pray" then got hold of the Black Mountain Rag album, and was blown away by him playing guitar and the beautiful amazing songs on there. Then I couldn't get enough, and listened to everything I could by Doc, and literally listened to ONLY Doc Watson for the whole of the next year of my life I tried to play Alberta (the most beautiful song in existence) on banjo, but it did not sound right. I'm now in the middle of working out how to play it on ukulele, and soon I'll be playing that along listening to Doc, and that will make me so happy. "Her hair lit the world with it's golden glow And the smile on her face burnt my heart away" - That slays me every time

[@BeStill-zy5ye]

Awesome video buddy

[@sunnyray7819]

I love Doc the most of any acoustic player.

[@steby123]

Doc Ma Man !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@TheEllgarr]

great job willard! im 70 yrs old and discovered doc in 1975 when a friend had a reel to reel recording of the " ON STAGE " double live album FEATURING MERLE WATSON!!!!! when i heard the first tune BROWN'S FERRY BLUES, well like doc said about hearing roselee's voice for the first time, it hit me in the head like a brick. for the next 45 years ive played , listened and tribute doc every day. it's hard to believe not a mention of this historical album...is that the album behind you that cant be seen? it should be front and center. it should also be said that doc used his thumb and index finger to fingerpick , much like one of his musical influences, merle travis.

[@BlowingRockArtHistoryMuseum]

Elliott thank you for watching. The album you mention, "Doc Watson On Stage featuring Merle Watson" is directly behind me in the video so it is obscured. I was hard pressed to fit as much content into 35 minutes as I did and I had to edit out a lot of content. This video is more of a broad strokes overview. If I had the time I would do a video series on each album, the influences and styles present in each. As far as fingerpicking goes, I have seen him play 3 finger style, solo later in life. From what I have found since folks have pointed out his preference for 2-finger is that Doc would oftentimes have an accompanying guitarist play 3-finger while he did flatpicking to create contrast. So Doc would flatpick and Merle would do 3-finger. I appreciate your kind words and like you I try to listen or tribute Doc everyday.

[@TheEllgarr]

@@BlowingRockArtHistoryMuseum thank you so much for the thoughtful reply willard! between oct 1998 and aug. 2010 i saw doc perform 14 times..9 with jack lawrence and 5 with david holt. i had my binoc's tuned right on doc and he always did the thumb and index finger. while jack flat picked doc was thumbpickin".this wonderful man is a hero in my life and i cherish the times i saw him play. are you a lefty? looks like it the way you motion how you play.. funny thing there used to be a hot dog joint in syracuse ny way back when called " doc and lefty's ". here a little tutorial by doc im sure you have seen describing his finger style!!!! kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5jPin2JiL9oia8

[@writerrad]

Dock Boggs played predominantly in the 3 finger style of banjo playing, and in fact received some kind of training in playing in what is now called the classic parlor variant of that style and played several selections that were pure three-finger parlor banjo. Boggs could also play extremely good clawhammer, although he was not known for it. Boggs' most well known features were the many tunes like County Blues mentioned above in which Boggs used the three finger, parlor banjo, approach of assigning fingers to certain strings to the rhythmic approaches and type of material that usually were reserved for either Clawhammer or 2 finger style banjo. Boggs used rolls and what I call grabs whose origins are in the now called classic three-finger style but applied them to an approach that comes from 2-finger folk banjo players. Boggs said he tried to create new ways to play the banjo different from the parlor banjo and clawhammer others in his family played. He said he was inspired was Black banjoists he had heard and by blues guitarists,. He took songs he recorded like "Down South Blues " from Jazz records., although he also recorded many fairly dark religious songs.

[@writerrad]

Doc Watson played both finger style guitar and banjo in two finger styles. as well as clawhammer banjo, as well as a style of banjo native to North Carolina that combines the lead of two finger picking with the brushing found in clawhammer,. More interestingly all of his own finger style guitar pieces were done with the two finger style, not a 3 finger style. Two finger banjo and guitar playing is a folk tradition of African origin that probably first came to the US among African American banjoists. Most African American blues guitarists of the acoustic era played the guitar in two finger not three finger style. North Carolina is a particular home to both 2 finger style banjoists and guitar players, so it is not surprising Watson played finger style guitar this way. Doc has also mentioned that one of his guitar idols for finger picking was the great Merle Travis from Western Kentucky who also played an African American derived 2 finger guitar style. One gets the idea that at the blind school he might have learned to play the guitar with a flat pick, but picked up banjo playing in his community where 2-finger picking was prominent on both guitar and banjo. Gaither Carlton, Doc's father in law, and Doc's brother Arnold were great two finger banjo players.

[@musicmadgic6931]

Yes, according to Traditionist Art Rosenbaum, Boggs played 3 finger style banjo on "Country Blues", including some pre-bluegrass roles I believe or was that "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down"? , in any event Doc Watson did play two finger banjo and of course drop thumb frailing banjo.

[@BlowingRockArtHistoryMuseum]

@@writerrad I apologize for the incorrect information about Dock Boggs, I am a fan of his music but not knowledgable about his life. The notes I have on Doc's style came from album liner notes and information in "the Songs of Doc Watson." In the introduction written by Ralph Rinzler there is no mention of Doc playing 2-finger guitar. Upon reviewing footage from his instrumentals you are correct about the two-finger with a thumb pick and index finger. Every time I saw him perform from 2010-2012 he either played 3-finger style with finger picks, Carter scratch, or flat picking. It might be possible that he learned how to play Carter-scratch style first since the first song he "officially learned" was "When the Roses Bloom in Dixieland" a Carter Family classic. In any event I appreciate your feedback and corrections and for watching this video. -Willard

[@shocktones9704]

@@BlowingRockArtHistoryMuseum yeah Dock Boggs played 3 finger without picks, and as a side note Doc Watson only used 2 fingers while fingerpicking , just like his hero Merle Travis...Chet Atkins used 3 , thumb, index and middle

[@dodgermartin4895]

Doc Watson and Clarence White are acknowledged to be the innovators of the flatpick style. (tho Doc did fingerpick). They were the greatest influences of the greatest flatpick guitarist of them all, Tony Rice.

[@treecounting]

...... Tony Rice ?? ''' Greatest ??? ...... In comparison ? Tony was / is sloppy, afraid of the tune and no way would his fingerpicking even come close.

[@dodgermartin4895]

@@treecounting Hahahahaha LOL. I was going to "educate" you, but never mind... It's Christmas. Peace on Earth, et cetera.

[@12thfretbuzz]

Wow Willard, you truly are the resident expert on DW. I enjoyed your video ! Few questions... Are you related to Doc?, how did Doc get his nick name? Also, how did Merrill die?

[@BlowingRockArtHistoryMuseum]

Hello Greg, Thank you for watching and your lovely comments! As for your questions, 1) I am related to Doc, my great-grandfather who I am named after, was 1st cousins with Doc and he helped raise Doc and played some banjo too. So I guess that makes us 3rd cousins or so. 2) I don't recall all the details off the top of my head, but Doc was playing at a radio station with a band as a young man and when the DJ was going to introduce the band he said something along the lines of "Arthel not being a good name for radio" and a lady in the room yelled, "Call'em Doc" and he was Doc Watson after that. 3) Merle died in a tractor accident. He was going down a steep hill and the tractor rolled over on him.

[@chawkinz]

Merle (as is properly spelled) died when a tractor he was driving in the middle of the night rolled over on him.

[@TheGeniuschrist]

13:01 Doc might have been fooling when he said he WATCHED a couple kittens playing

[@MrJbaker7]

Great video for sure but, Doc mostly used thumb and index fingers. He seldom used his middle finger when fingerpicking...Jack Baker NYC/NJ

[@TheLouise24]

Doc couldn't have watched the kittens playing.

[@astengrapple1154]

how did Merle die?

[@henryedwards6408]

I believe it was a tractor accident on his farm.

[@robertharden4092]

He was up late working on some wood got a giant splinter in his arm he drove his tractor to his neighbors house and his tractor flipped over on him and landed on top of him and crushed him he died instantly.

[@kenhorneland7060]

You don’t need sight to pay music....

[@chawkinz]

Was not born in Deep Gap, duh.

[@tygepolston2582]

Lol you’re no expert kid. Anyone can read a prompt in front of a bunch of doc records

[@anniepowell1628]

You’re kin to Doc, right?