It’s the day before New Year’s Eve in Nashville, and Molly Tuttle is in a dressing room at the Ryman Auditorium, getting ready to open Old Crow Medicine Show’s annual year-end concerts later that night. Tuttle has played the Ryman stage in the past, but this time she does so with a prominent asterisk next to her name: The bluegrass guitarist is a Best New Artist Grammy nominee.
Tuttle’s about to turn 30 in January (the 14th, to be exact) and she’s reflecting on the last decade,...
Tuttle’s about to turn 30 in January (the 14th, to be exact) and she’s reflecting on the last decade,...
- 1/11/2023
- by Garret K. Woodward
- Rollingstone.com
In a moment that was as symbolic as it was incendiary, Billy Strings strapped on his Gibson Les Paul, cranked up the Orange amps, and rolled into a cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire,” the six-string phenom howling, “Move over, Rover, and let Billy take over.”
Halloween night capped off an unforgettable three-night run for Strings & Co. at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center in downtown Asheville, North Carolina. Dressed as characters from The Lord of the Rings (the shows were dubbed “Away from the Shire”), the band blasted through a...
Halloween night capped off an unforgettable three-night run for Strings & Co. at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center in downtown Asheville, North Carolina. Dressed as characters from The Lord of the Rings (the shows were dubbed “Away from the Shire”), the band blasted through a...
- 11/1/2022
- by Garret K. Woodward
- Rollingstone.com
Billy Strings will go back to where it all began with his new album Me/And/Dad, a collaborative project between the young bluegrass star and his father, Terry Barber. The new project featuring country and bluegrass classics will be released Nov. 18 and includes two songs that were released today: “Long Journey Home” and “Life to Go.”
The traditional tune “Long Journey Home” shows off Strings’ lightning-fast picking as well as the harmonizing between him and Barber, who also plays guitar on the track. “Life to Go” is an acoustic...
The traditional tune “Long Journey Home” shows off Strings’ lightning-fast picking as well as the harmonizing between him and Barber, who also plays guitar on the track. “Life to Go” is an acoustic...
- 10/3/2022
- by Jon Freeman
- Rollingstone.com
Thirteen years after the release of their surprise hit album Raising Sand, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss have finally reunited for a follow-lp, Raise the Roof. It comes out on November 19th, and you can check out leadoff single, a cover of the 1998 Lucinda Williams song “Can’t Let Go,” right here.
Raise the Roof was produced by T-Bone Burnett, who also worked with Plant and Krauss on Raising Sand. It features songs by Merle Haggard, Allen Toussaint, the Everly Brothers, and Bert Jancsh in addition to their original tune “High and Lonesome.
Raise the Roof was produced by T-Bone Burnett, who also worked with Plant and Krauss on Raising Sand. It features songs by Merle Haggard, Allen Toussaint, the Everly Brothers, and Bert Jancsh in addition to their original tune “High and Lonesome.
- 8/12/2021
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
Vanguard Records is the focus of the next Vinyl Me, Please Anthology series, with the vinyl subscription service highlighting six essential albums from the legendary folk label in a limited edition box set.
Vmp Anthology: The Story of Vanguard will house reissues of the Weavers’ At Carnegie Hall, Odetta’s My Eyes Have Seen, Joan Baez’ 1960 self-titled album, Buffy Sainte-Marie’s It’s My Way!, Doc Watson’s 1964 self-titled LP and Skip James’ 1966 album Today! Each album is pressed on Aaa 180g multi-colored vinyl from the original mono master tapes from the Vanguard vaults.
Vmp Anthology: The Story of Vanguard will house reissues of the Weavers’ At Carnegie Hall, Odetta’s My Eyes Have Seen, Joan Baez’ 1960 self-titled album, Buffy Sainte-Marie’s It’s My Way!, Doc Watson’s 1964 self-titled LP and Skip James’ 1966 album Today! Each album is pressed on Aaa 180g multi-colored vinyl from the original mono master tapes from the Vanguard vaults.
- 8/9/2021
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Justin Townes Earle, the singer-songwriter known for his mix of old-timey roots music and modern-day Americana, has died at age 38. A rep for Earle’s label New West Records confirmed the musician’s death to Rolling Stone, though a cause of death was not immediately revealed.
“It is with tremendous sadness that we inform you of the passing of our son, husband, father and friend Justin,” a post on Earle’s Instagram page read. “So many of you have relied on his music and lyrics over the years and we...
“It is with tremendous sadness that we inform you of the passing of our son, husband, father and friend Justin,” a post on Earle’s Instagram page read. “So many of you have relied on his music and lyrics over the years and we...
- 8/24/2020
- by Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
The latest episode of the long-running live-music series Austin City Limits includes a loving tribute to the songs of the late, great Guy Clark, who died in 2016. Hosted by Steve Earle, and featuring his band the Dukes, the hour-long episode includes Clark and Earle’s fellow Texans, Rodney Crowell, Joe Ely, and Terry and Jo Harvey Allen.
Kicking off the episode is Earle’s stirring performance of Clark’s wistful “Dublin Blues” — the title cut off the songwriter’s 1995 album — which opens with the sweetly prophetic line, “I wish I was in Austin.
Kicking off the episode is Earle’s stirring performance of Clark’s wistful “Dublin Blues” — the title cut off the songwriter’s 1995 album — which opens with the sweetly prophetic line, “I wish I was in Austin.
- 10/18/2019
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
Not many forms of music have “old-” actually built into their name as a prefix. So it’s a given that the practitioners of the 200-year-old genre known as “old-time music” will wear their antiquity proudly in “Fiddlin’,” a documentary set in and around the 80th annual Old Fiddler’s Convention in Galax, Va. What may not be as expected is how much director Julie Simone puts the focus on the music’s teen and pre-teen virtuosos, although the geezer demographic hardly goes unrepresented. Even filmgoers with little taste for these arcane sounds may enjoy the doc, if only for the chance to spend an hour and a half in the company of so many prodigies who’ve put down their phones in the service of taking up catgut.
If a form specifically designated as “old-time music” is a new one on you, you’re not alone; even most roots-music...
If a form specifically designated as “old-time music” is a new one on you, you’re not alone; even most roots-music...
- 10/16/2019
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
Hopping off the tailgate of his Sprinter touring van, Billy Strings readies himself for a rollicking set at the inaugural Railbird festival in Lexington, Kentucky. The six-string virtuoso grabs his guitar and tunes up, running through a few signature licks.
Strings sits back down and observes the other bands and festivalgoers milling about backstage. You can see it in his eyes: he’s engaged in a constant stream of thought as his fingers move up and down the fretboard. But that’s Strings — always watching. He takes those observations and...
Strings sits back down and observes the other bands and festivalgoers milling about backstage. You can see it in his eyes: he’s engaged in a constant stream of thought as his fingers move up and down the fretboard. But that’s Strings — always watching. He takes those observations and...
- 10/2/2019
- by Garret K. Woodward
- Rollingstone.com
By the second half of the 20th century, country music was big business. Radio, records, television and movies all played a part in its popularity, but its artists and its songs were still at the forefront, even as profits soared or slumped. The second half of Ken Burns’ Country Music begins in 1964 and runs through the mid-Nineties, exploring everything from the rise of the Bakersfield Sound to the pop-country explosion of the Seventies, right up to Garth Brooks’ unprecedented approach to superstardom. Rolling Stone Country looks at 10 key moments from...
- 9/22/2019
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
Over his 70-plus years in the spotlight, singer and guitarist Mac Wiseman helped build bluegrass and modern country music from the ground up. He remained a valuable mentor and ambassador for both genres until his death on February 24th. He was 93.
Of the many accomplishments from Wiseman’s career, two best represent his longevity and influence. He was the final surviving member of Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs’ original Foggy Mountain Boys. That fact alone makes him a key figure in the commercial and musical development of 1940s bluegrass. He...
Of the many accomplishments from Wiseman’s career, two best represent his longevity and influence. He was the final surviving member of Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs’ original Foggy Mountain Boys. That fact alone makes him a key figure in the commercial and musical development of 1940s bluegrass. He...
- 2/25/2019
- by Bobby Moore
- Rollingstone.com
Watching guitarist Billy Strings onstage is akin to observing a hummingbird in its natural state.
Strings’ fingers zoom up and down the fretboard of his acoustic in an intricate and calculated frenzy. The scene may appear haphazard at first, but he’s in complete control, determinedly chasing that cosmic moment of improvisation.
“I grew up playing bluegrass with my dad. That’s how I cut my teeth when I was a little kid, and how I learned how to play music. But I learned how to perform when I was in a metal band,...
Strings’ fingers zoom up and down the fretboard of his acoustic in an intricate and calculated frenzy. The scene may appear haphazard at first, but he’s in complete control, determinedly chasing that cosmic moment of improvisation.
“I grew up playing bluegrass with my dad. That’s how I cut my teeth when I was a little kid, and how I learned how to play music. But I learned how to perform when I was in a metal band,...
- 1/2/2019
- by Garret K. Woodward
- Rollingstone.com
With four days of eclectic roots-based music set in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the 2019 MerleFest lineup continues a longstanding tradition of diversity. Wynonna & the Big Noise, first-time MerleFest performers, will be joined by Keb’ Mo’, the Earls of Leicester, Sam Bush, Tyler Childers, Peter Rowan and the Free Mexican Air Force, among many others at next year’s event, set for April 25th through 28th on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina.
“I’m thrilled to finally be a part of MerleFest and...
“I’m thrilled to finally be a part of MerleFest and...
- 11/13/2018
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
As their clever name, a tribute to two all-time greats, suggests, Earls of Leicester pay homage with a powerful bluegrass sound dedicated solely to the music of Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs and delivered by six of the genre’s modern masters. The supergroup of pickers — Jerry Douglas, Shawn Camp, Barry Bales, Charlie Cushman, Johnny Warren and Jeff White — will release their latest Rounder Records album, Live at the Cma Theater in the Country Music Hall of Fame, on September 28th.
Recorded over a two-night stand in Nashville, the LP...
Recorded over a two-night stand in Nashville, the LP...
- 9/20/2018
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
MerleFest, presented by Window World, is proud to announce the initial lineup for MerleFest 2018, which will be held April 26 – 29.
The annual homecoming of musicians and music fans returns to the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The complete lineup for MerleFest 2018 will be announced over the next few months. Today’s lineup announcement includes legendary artist Kris Kristofferson, Jamey Johnson, Robert Earl Keen, The Devil Makes Three, Balsam Range and the Atlanta Pops Orchestra Ensemble, “Mission Temple Fireworks Revival” featuring Paul Thorn & Band, the Blind Boys of Alabama and the McCrary Sisters, and many more. The 2018 Midnight Jam presented by The Bluegrass Situation on Saturday, April 28th will start at 10:30 p.m. and run well past midnight, with special hosts Town Mountain and Jim Lauderdale. This very popular after-hours hootenanny gathers many performers from the festival for impromptu...
The annual homecoming of musicians and music fans returns to the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The complete lineup for MerleFest 2018 will be announced over the next few months. Today’s lineup announcement includes legendary artist Kris Kristofferson, Jamey Johnson, Robert Earl Keen, The Devil Makes Three, Balsam Range and the Atlanta Pops Orchestra Ensemble, “Mission Temple Fireworks Revival” featuring Paul Thorn & Band, the Blind Boys of Alabama and the McCrary Sisters, and many more. The 2018 Midnight Jam presented by The Bluegrass Situation on Saturday, April 28th will start at 10:30 p.m. and run well past midnight, with special hosts Town Mountain and Jim Lauderdale. This very popular after-hours hootenanny gathers many performers from the festival for impromptu...
- 11/17/2017
- Look to the Stars
The Coen Brothers movie is immersed in the folk scene of the early 60s in Greenwich Village, where boho survivors still recall the glory days – and lament a few of the film's flaws
Fifty years ago, the tenements, bars and coffee houses of Greenwich Village were the centre of a hip, bohemian society of beatniks and folkniks. That society has long dispersed, most of its landmarks erased by the onslaught of chain stores and fast food outlets. But enough of the Village remains intact that, by squinting in the Arctic freeze last week, it was almost possible to picture a 21-year-old Bob Dylan with his girlfriend, Suze Rotolo, braced against the cold in February 1963 for the covershot of the great Freewheelin' Bob Dylan acoustic LP.
It's not unusual to see couples re-enacting that pose on the corner of West 4th and Jones Street, says Mark Sebastian, a neighbourhood activist, musician...
Fifty years ago, the tenements, bars and coffee houses of Greenwich Village were the centre of a hip, bohemian society of beatniks and folkniks. That society has long dispersed, most of its landmarks erased by the onslaught of chain stores and fast food outlets. But enough of the Village remains intact that, by squinting in the Arctic freeze last week, it was almost possible to picture a 21-year-old Bob Dylan with his girlfriend, Suze Rotolo, braced against the cold in February 1963 for the covershot of the great Freewheelin' Bob Dylan acoustic LP.
It's not unusual to see couples re-enacting that pose on the corner of West 4th and Jones Street, says Mark Sebastian, a neighbourhood activist, musician...
- 1/26/2014
- by Edward Helmore
- The Guardian - Film News
New York — Misty-eyed music promoter Sid Bernstein, who booked such top acts as Jimi Hendrix, Judy Garland and the Rolling Stones and hit the highest heights when he masterminded the Beatles' historic concerts at Shea Stadium and Carnegie Hall, died Wednesday at age 95.
Bernstein's daughter, Casey Deutsch, said he died in his sleep at a hospital. She cited no illness and said he died of natural causes.
For decades, the squat, floppy-haired Bernstein excelled like few others at being everywhere and knowing everybody. He worked with Garland, Duke Ellington and Ray Charles, promoted Dion, Bobby Darin and Chubby Checker and managed Esy Morales, the Rascals and Ornette Coleman. He was an early backer of Abba, setting up the Swedish group's first American appearances. He was behind one of the first rock benefit shows, the 1970 "Winter Festival for Peace" at Madison Square Garden, which featured Hendrix and Peter, Paul and Mary.
Bernstein's daughter, Casey Deutsch, said he died in his sleep at a hospital. She cited no illness and said he died of natural causes.
For decades, the squat, floppy-haired Bernstein excelled like few others at being everywhere and knowing everybody. He worked with Garland, Duke Ellington and Ray Charles, promoted Dion, Bobby Darin and Chubby Checker and managed Esy Morales, the Rascals and Ornette Coleman. He was an early backer of Abba, setting up the Swedish group's first American appearances. He was behind one of the first rock benefit shows, the 1970 "Winter Festival for Peace" at Madison Square Garden, which featured Hendrix and Peter, Paul and Mary.
- 8/22/2013
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Washington -- Here's a listing of the 2012 inductees to the National Recording Registry in chronological order:
1."After You've Gone," Marion Harris (1918)
2."Bacon, Beans and Limousines," Will Rogers (Oct. 18, 1931)
3."Begin the Beguine," Artie Shaw (1938)
4. "You Are My Sunshine," Jimmie Davis (1940)
5.D-Day Radio Broadcast, George Hicks (June 5-6, 1944)
6."Just Because," Frank Yankovic & His Yanks (1947)
7."South Pacific," Original Cast Album (1949)
8."Descargas: Cuban Jam Session in Miniature," Cachao Y Su Ritmo Caliente (1957)
9.Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1, Van Cliburn (April 11, 1958)
10.President's Message Relayed from Atlas Satellite, Dwight D. Eisenhower (Dec. 19, 1958)
11."A Program of Song," Leontyne Price (1959)
12."The Shape of Jazz to Come," Ornette Coleman (1959)
13."Crossing Chilly Jordan," The Blackwood Brothers (1960)
14."The Twist," Chubby Checker (1960)
15."Old Time Music at Clarence Ashley's," Clarence Ashley, Doc Watson, et al. (1960-1962)
16."Hoodoo Man Blues," Junior Wells (1965)
17."Sounds of Silence," Simon and Garfunkel (1966)
18."Cheap Thrills," Big Brother and the Holding Company (1968)
19."The Dark Side of the Moon," Pink Floyd (1973)
20."Music Time in Africa,...
1."After You've Gone," Marion Harris (1918)
2."Bacon, Beans and Limousines," Will Rogers (Oct. 18, 1931)
3."Begin the Beguine," Artie Shaw (1938)
4. "You Are My Sunshine," Jimmie Davis (1940)
5.D-Day Radio Broadcast, George Hicks (June 5-6, 1944)
6."Just Because," Frank Yankovic & His Yanks (1947)
7."South Pacific," Original Cast Album (1949)
8."Descargas: Cuban Jam Session in Miniature," Cachao Y Su Ritmo Caliente (1957)
9.Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1, Van Cliburn (April 11, 1958)
10.President's Message Relayed from Atlas Satellite, Dwight D. Eisenhower (Dec. 19, 1958)
11."A Program of Song," Leontyne Price (1959)
12."The Shape of Jazz to Come," Ornette Coleman (1959)
13."Crossing Chilly Jordan," The Blackwood Brothers (1960)
14."The Twist," Chubby Checker (1960)
15."Old Time Music at Clarence Ashley's," Clarence Ashley, Doc Watson, et al. (1960-1962)
16."Hoodoo Man Blues," Junior Wells (1965)
17."Sounds of Silence," Simon and Garfunkel (1966)
18."Cheap Thrills," Big Brother and the Holding Company (1968)
19."The Dark Side of the Moon," Pink Floyd (1973)
20."Music Time in Africa,...
- 3/21/2013
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Mumford & Sons, Gotye & Kimbra, Kelly Clarkson, Zac Brown Band and Fun. were just a few of the big winners at the 55th annual Grammy Awards telecast, hosted by LL Cool J and broadcast live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Read on for the recap...
For the Complete List of Winners Click Here.
The Winners
Album of the Year went to Babel by Mumford & Sons; Record of the Year went to Gotye & Kimbra's Somebody That I Used To Know; Fun. won Best New Artist, and their We Are Young (featuring Janelle Monae) was named Song of the Year; Kelly Clarkson's Stronger was named Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Country Album was awarded to Zac Brown Band's Uncaged.
Other big accolades handed out during Sunday night's telecast went to Carrie Underwood (Best Country Solo Performance: Blown Away); Frank Ocean was the Best Urban Contemporary Album Winner for Channel Orange; The Black Keys earned Best Rock...
For the Complete List of Winners Click Here.
The Winners
Album of the Year went to Babel by Mumford & Sons; Record of the Year went to Gotye & Kimbra's Somebody That I Used To Know; Fun. won Best New Artist, and their We Are Young (featuring Janelle Monae) was named Song of the Year; Kelly Clarkson's Stronger was named Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Country Album was awarded to Zac Brown Band's Uncaged.
Other big accolades handed out during Sunday night's telecast went to Carrie Underwood (Best Country Solo Performance: Blown Away); Frank Ocean was the Best Urban Contemporary Album Winner for Channel Orange; The Black Keys earned Best Rock...
- 2/11/2013
- Entertainment Tonight
You will need the skills of Sherlock to determine whether or not upcoming Elementary guest star Terry Kinney is going to be the show’s biggest villain of all. Perhaps to aid in our deduction process, let’s first examine just who this familiar actor is, shall we?
Who is Terry Kinney? He’s one of those actors you see often, and that’s not just due to a great agent. Whenever he appears in a series, he handles his role really well. His longest TV stint was probably as a cast member of Oz in the role of Emerald City Unit Manager Tim McManus.
Kinney has also been a solid member of the main cast on Canterbury’s Law, The Unusuals and NYC 22, which all dealt with law and order. On The Mentalist he recurred for a while as Special Agent Sam Bosco and he has featured in...
Who is Terry Kinney? He’s one of those actors you see often, and that’s not just due to a great agent. Whenever he appears in a series, he handles his role really well. His longest TV stint was probably as a cast member of Oz in the role of Emerald City Unit Manager Tim McManus.
Kinney has also been a solid member of the main cast on Canterbury’s Law, The Unusuals and NYC 22, which all dealt with law and order. On The Mentalist he recurred for a while as Special Agent Sam Bosco and he has featured in...
- 12/20/2012
- by Sasha Nova
- Boomtron
For our Fall TV Preview issue, we spoke with the cast of ABC’s new drama Nashville about the question that’s on everyone’s minds: Can Connie Britton really sing?
When ABC first started casting for the show, its creator, Callie Khouri, knew she wanted Britton for the role of country superstar Rayna Jaymes, even before she knew whether or not Britton could carry a tune. “I said, if we can’t get Connie Britton, let’s just not do the show,” Khouri tells EW. “Everybody thought I was nuts!” But Khouri held out for her first choice. “She...
When ABC first started casting for the show, its creator, Callie Khouri, knew she wanted Britton for the role of country superstar Rayna Jaymes, even before she knew whether or not Britton could carry a tune. “I said, if we can’t get Connie Britton, let’s just not do the show,” Khouri tells EW. “Everybody thought I was nuts!” But Khouri held out for her first choice. “She...
- 9/11/2012
- by Melissa Maerz
- EW - Inside TV
The legendary 'Family Feud' host passed away surrounded by family after battling esophageal cancer -- how sad. Television personality Richard Dawson has died. Richard, who was 79, passed away on June 2 after a courageous battle with esophageal cancer, his son Gary Dawson revealed on Facebook. "It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that my father passed away this evening from complications due to esophageal cancer," he wrote. "He was surrounded by his family. He was an amazing talent, a loving husband, a great dad, and a doting grandfather. He will be missed but always remembered..." Richard was best known for hosting Family Feud from 1976-1985, as well as for a brief stint from 1994-1995. We wish Richard's family the best during this difficult time. [Facebook] -- William Earl More Celeb Passings: Doc Watson, Folk Music Legend, Dies At 89 Robin Gibb: Dead At 62 Donna Summer — Dead...
- 6/3/2012
- by William Earl
- HollywoodLife
Musician Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson, who gained acclaim with his blend of country, bluegrass and gospel, died Tuesday at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., after undergoing abdominal surgery last week. Watson was 89. Born in Deep Gap, North Carolina, in 1923 and blind since nearly birth due to an eye infection, Watson was born into a musical family and, began playing at an early age, teaching himself guitar on a borrowed instrument. Watson was discovered in 1960 when folklorists...
- 5/30/2012
- by Tim Kenneally
- The Wrap
American recording artist Doc Watson has died at age 89 in North Carolina on Tuesday. Watson, who was blind from infancy, passed away after a fall last week at his home in Deep Gap, N.C., and subsequent colon surgery, according to CNN. Iconic folk-music star Watson played the acoustic guitar so beautifully that Bob Dylan once compared his guitar picking style to "water running. Watson won seven Grammys over a 33-year period and received Grammy's lifetime achievement award in 2004. Born Arthel Lane Watson, he picked up the nickname "Doc" as a teen. Watson was a great part of the 1960s folk music scene, and reveled in honky-tonk, rockabilly, pop and square-dance songs. A master of the acoustic...
- 5/30/2012
- by April MacIntyre
- Monsters and Critics
Grammy-award wining folk musician Doc Watson passed away at 89 on Tuesday at a North Carolina hospital, according to his manager and a hospital spokeswoman.
The blind seven-time Grammy award winner who was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004 had been in critical condition in the hospital for several days after a fall at his home in Deep Gap, North Carolina.
Known for his phenomenally fast flatpicking guitar skills, Watson influenced many guitarist around the world with his unique style.
Born "Arthel Lane Watson" in 1923 in Deep Gap, he lost his eyesight when he was one year old due to an eye infection.
Coming from a musical family, Watson was able to play the banjo at the age of 5 and taught himself how to play the guitar at an early age.
"Doc Watson sort of defined in many ways what Americana has become," said Jed Hilly, executive director of the Americana Music Assn., to The Los...
The blind seven-time Grammy award winner who was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004 had been in critical condition in the hospital for several days after a fall at his home in Deep Gap, North Carolina.
Known for his phenomenally fast flatpicking guitar skills, Watson influenced many guitarist around the world with his unique style.
Born "Arthel Lane Watson" in 1923 in Deep Gap, he lost his eyesight when he was one year old due to an eye infection.
Coming from a musical family, Watson was able to play the banjo at the age of 5 and taught himself how to play the guitar at an early age.
"Doc Watson sort of defined in many ways what Americana has become," said Jed Hilly, executive director of the Americana Music Assn., to The Los...
- 5/30/2012
- Entertainment Tonight
Hugely influential folk and bluegrass guitarist Doc Watson died on Tuesday in North Carolina at age 89; he had recently undergone abdominal surgery. Born Arthel Lane Watson, the blind finger-picking pioneer "elevated the acoustic guitar to solo status in bluegrass and country music," writes the New York Times. There's no shortage of YouTube fodder for you to commemorate the man's excellence with.
- 5/30/2012
- by Zach Dionne
- Vulture
With Doc Watson goes a piece of Americana. The folk-music legend, blind since infancy and known for his mastery of the acoustic guitar, died today at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. He was 89. Watson was hospitalized last week and underwent abdominal surgery after a fall at his home in Deep Gap, where he was born Arthel Lane Watson and given the nickname "Doc" during an appearance on a local radio show when he was in his teens. The eventual flat-picking legend bought himself his first guitar when he was a kid with $10 his father gave him for farm work. "He put me to work, and that made me feel useful," Watson, the sixth of nine children, told Fret magazine...
- 5/30/2012
- E! Online
The Grammy-winning blind singer-songwriter Doc Watson has died. He was 89. Watson had been hospitalized in Winston-Salem, N.C., for abdominal surgery, the Associated Press reports. He passed away Tuesday according to a hospital spokesperson and his management. Born Arthel Lane Watson in North Carolina, Watson lost his eyesight as an infant due to an infection, but he went on to have a successful career as a bluegrass and folk musician, known for recordings including "Tom Dooley" and "Shady Grove." From the mid-1960s through the early 1980s, Watson toured and recorded with his son, Eddy Merle, until the younger musician...
- 5/30/2012
- PEOPLE.com
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