Arthel “Doc” Watson was one of the most influential and beloved music artists of the 20th century. Born in 1923 in Deep Gap, North Carolina, Doc overcame his loss of sight at an early age to become a legendary performer of numerous music forms on a wide variety of instruments including guitar, banjo, mandolin, and harmonica.
Image courtesy of Craft Recordings
Doc combined his warm baritone voice with virtuoso talents on the guitar and other instruments to put his unique stamp on ancient ballads, modern American show tunes, gospel, blues, and a remarkable range of popular and traditional music. His virtuosity on guitar was revealed through his pioneering work in demonstrating that the acoustic guitar’s capabilities extended well beyond simply being a background rhythm instrument, to include blazing instrumental lead work, especially with traditional fiddle tunes.