Doc Watson

[rowdyyates]

One in a billion. A huge inspiration to me and a good man. I got to see him play several times, both with Merle and after; it was always a joy.

[kmfrank]

A very versatile flatpicker, a gentleman, and an icon to several genres.

[lumco]

A great human being and great guitar player. Saw him play several times over the years and he will be missed by all. We all tried to imitate him but ended up being humbled instead..
RIP..Doc

[rowdyyates]

I bought "Will the Circle be Unbroken" in 1972 and my guitar playing life was changed. I set about learning to play "Black Mountain Rag". It took months, maybe more, but I finally got it (mostly). I rarely play that kind of music anymore, but pretty much everything I do is still influenced by it.

I wonder how many here never heard, or heard of Doc.

[rreiser]

Thanks for the music Doc ! R.I.P.

[Telebluze]

Hey Mike,

Yeah, Doc was a GIANT for sure......I first heard Doc through my dad when I was about 8-10 years old.

It obviously took quite a few years for me to truly appreciate him as an artist/musician, but I clearly remember totally digging his version of "Mama Don't Allow" from the very first time I heard it.

He was definitely known as much for his humble spirit as his muscianship.....acccording to everyone who came into contact with him, he was one of the most humble guys you ever met. I thought it spoke volumes about him as a person when he was asked what inscription he would like to have put on a statue that was going to be erected in his honor---his response was, "I'd like it to read, "Just One Of The People."

[e-z]

Doc is one of my favorites and his music never fails to captivate me no matter how many times I've heard it. R.I.P. Doc.

[dnauhei]

Doc was a big inspiration for me musically and a first class guy. Glad I got a chance to see him a handful of times.

[padols]

Gonna miss you Doc. Thanks for the tunes. :(

[L_Totti]

"Doc Watson was the first truly great guitar player I ever saw up close. For me, growing up in Santa Monica, Calif., in the 1950s meant that great musicians were only manifested on records and radio, making it hard to catch a glimpse of the person behind the layers of sound and presentation. You knew people like Hank Snow and Merle Travis were great, but you couldn’t be sure how much the Nudie suits and custom boots had contributed to the sound you heard on KXLA radio.Then, Doc and the banjo player Clarence Ashley and some of the boys drove out to Los Angeles for the first U.C.L.A. Folk Festival in 1963. On the lawn by Royce Hall, the gothic classical music venue, they gathered around and sang “Daniel Prayed,” an intricate call-and-response-style gospel tune. The public was here and there, wandering around aimlessly, like they do at these events. It was casual and unannounced — we hadn’t entered into the hyperorganized way of music appreciation just yet — that came later with the big rock shows.
Fred Price led the song with his old man’s ghostly voice, Clint Howard joined in on farm-boy tenor and Doc added his resonant bass, which was severe and shocking. In their tradition, the instruments are rested and the song is like a breathing exercise. Daniel prayed every morning, noon, and night, it says. I wondered if there were more people right there on the lawn than had ever assembled in their church back home in Deep Gap, N.C., to hear about Daniel and the nonstop prayer, but that didn’t bother Doc and the boys.

Then, Ed Pearl, the owner of the folk music club the Ash Grove, took them away somewhere to get a sandwich. Their place back home would probably just about fit in between the lawn and the food tent, I remember thinking. I also remember thinking that these men know something about music I’ll never know, even if I practice and study all my life. You have to be born into it. That way, every note and word and gesture has meaning, and your notes and sung words line up with those of your friends and make a whole statement about life that is tiny but eternal. Now another rounder has gone. Doc made many good recordings, but you needed to be in his close presence to pick up the sound of his life and times; the microphone can’t do that for you, I’m sorry to say.
Later that day, I was sitting on a bench playing guitar, and Doc and Ed Pearl walked by. Doc stopped and listened.



“Who’s that?” he asked Ed. “That’s Ry Cooder, he’s a youngster.”


“Sounds pretty good,” Doc said, and they walked on."






R.I.P

[rowdyyates]

Later that day, I was sitting on a bench playing guitar, and Doc and Ed Pearl walked by. Doc stopped and listened. [/FONT]



“Who’s that?” he asked Ed. “That’s Ry Cooder, he’s a youngster.”


“Sounds pretty good,” Doc said, and they walked on."

R.I.P

So cool. I got to see Doc a couple of times at the Perot Theater in Texarkana. It's a small restored theatre with great acoustics. Both were high points in my musical life.

[BONGKARMA]

I had the pleasure to work with Doc many times over the years. and i can't say enough good things about him. a very humble man with a beautiful talent. Doc you will be missed greatly. RIP my friend.

[Big White Tele]

Shady Grove, Docs Guitar, It's a Crazy World.......... " music is playing inside of my head over and over and over again" I'm so happy to have heard it and am blessed to have it there; inside my head - an amazing player! ...."theres no end.... to the music". Thanks Doc Watson may you rest well in the heavens above.

[Zigeuner]

"Doc Watson was the first truly great guitar player I ever saw up close. For me, growing up in Santa Monica, Calif., in the 1950s meant that great musicians were only manifested on records and radio, making it hard to catch a glimpse of the person behind the layers of sound and presentation. You knew people like Hank Snow and Merle Travis were great, but you couldn’t be sure how much the Nudie suits and custom boots had contributed to the sound you heard on KXLA radio.Then, Doc and the banjo player Clarence Ashley and some of the boys drove out to Los Angeles for the first U.C.L.A. Folk Festival in 1963. On the lawn by Royce Hall, the gothic classical music venue, they gathered around and sang “Daniel Prayed,” an intricate call-and-response-style gospel tune. The public was here and there, wandering around aimlessly, like they do at these events. It was casual and unannounced — we hadn’t entered into the hyperorganized way of music appreciation just yet — that came later with the big rock shows.
Fred Price led the song with his old man’s ghostly voice, Clint Howard joined in on farm-boy tenor and Doc added his resonant bass, which was severe and shocking. In their tradition, the instruments are rested and the song is like a breathing exercise. Daniel prayed every morning, noon, and night, it says. I wondered if there were more people right there on the lawn than had ever assembled in their church back home in Deep Gap, N.C., to hear about Daniel and the nonstop prayer, but that didn’t bother Doc and the boys.

Then, Ed Pearl, the owner of the folk music club the Ash Grove, took them away somewhere to get a sandwich. Their place back home would probably just about fit in between the lawn and the food tent, I remember thinking. I also remember thinking that these men know something about music I’ll never know, even if I practice and study all my life. You have to be born into it. That way, every note and word and gesture has meaning, and your notes and sung words line up with those of your friends and make a whole statement about life that is tiny but eternal. Now another rounder has gone. Doc made many good recordings, but you needed to be in his close presence to pick up the sound of his life and times; the microphone can’t do that for you, I’m sorry to say.
Later that day, I was sitting on a bench playing guitar, and Doc and Ed Pearl walked by. Doc stopped and listened.



“Who’s that?” he asked Ed. “That’s Ry Cooder, he’s a youngster.”


“Sounds pretty good,” Doc said, and they walked on."




R.I.P

Great post. I was a student at UCLA in '63. I had forgotten that it was '63 and not '62. I saw Doc Watson, Clarence White, Ry Coooder, Taj Mahal and others doing a review of folk music styles in one of the halls at UCLA during that festival. It was amazing to see Doc and Clarence doing their flatpicking routines. You could hardly tell them apart, except Doc's playing always had a warmth and beauty that marked him as an original.

I knew Ed Pearl and often went to the Ash Grove in L.A around that time. Doc Watson played there several times and I always went to see him when he was in town.

You are absolutely correct that you have to be born into it to fully particate. It's still OK to admire the playing and the players, though.

[fatjerry]

Absolutely, He’s wonderful musician and his music never fails. Last week I had shown his new music videos.

[fatjerry]

Absolutely, He’s wonderful musician and his music never fails. Last week I had shown his new music videos.

[The City Idiot]

The don't make men like him anymore. Just scored a Guitar Player issue from 1972 that has him on the cover.

[OutterLimits]

I saw Doc at a church up here in CT in the late 80s, after Merle had passed. I had never heard him play before. He changed my whole idea of music ... I went out and got a flatpicking dreadnaught after that and spent the next 10 years playing fiddle tunes and picking Travis style. What a great person and talent, the world will miss him.

[Petimar]

He is the reason I started playing. A true legend.