Posted on 05/29/2012 6:34:16 PM PDT by NCDragon
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Doc Watson, the Grammy-award winning folk musician whose lightning-fast style of flatpicking influenced guitarists around the world for more than a half-century, died Tuesday at a hospital in Winston-Salem, according to a hospital spokeswoman and his manager. He was 89.
Watson, who was blind from age 1, recently had abdominal surgery that resulted in his hospitalization.
Arthel "Doc" Watson's mastery of flatpicking helped make the case for the guitar as a lead instrument in the 1950s and 1960s, when it was often considered a backup for the mandolin, fiddle or banjo. His fast playing could intimidate other musicians, even his own grandson, who performed with him.
Gov. Beverly Perdue called him a "worldwide ambassador of North Carolina's culture and heritage."
"Over his long and brilliant career, Doc Watson traveled the world playing the music he loved, but his heart never strayed far from his home in Deep Gap, North Carolina," Perdue said in a statement. "He will be missed."
(Excerpt) Read more at wral.com ...
Now you guys have gone and caused me to queue up my “Will the Circle be Unbroken” MP3s for a night of listening.
This also to thy very self sometimes
Repeat thou mayst: “Lo, even good Ancus left
The sunshine with his eyes, in divers things
A better man than thou, O worthless hind;
And many other kings and lords of rule
Thereafter have gone under, once who swayed
O’er mighty peoples. And he also, he—
Who whilom paved a highway down the sea,
And gave his legionaries thoroughfare
Along the deep, and taught them how to cross
The pools of brine afoot, and did contemn,
Trampling upon it with his cavalry,
The bellowings of ocean—poured his soul
From dying body, as his light was ta’en.
And Scipio’s son, the thunderbolt of war,
Horror of Carthage, gave his bones to earth,
Like to the lowliest villein in the house.
Add finders-out of sciences and arts;
Add comrades of the Heliconian dames,
Among whom Homer, sceptered o’er them all,
Now lies in slumber sunken with the rest.
Then, too, Democritus, when ripened eld
Admonished him his memory waned away,
Of own accord offered his head to death.
Even Epicurus went, his light of life
Run out, the man in genius who o’er-topped
The human race, extinguishing all others,
As sun, in ether arisen, all the stars.
Wilt thou, then, dally, thou complain to go?—
Lucretius
Now you guys have gone and caused me to queue up my “Will the Circle be Unbroken” MP3s for a night of listening.
Now you guys have gone and caused me to queue up my “Will the Circle be Unbroken” MP3s for a night of listening.
Bluegrass Junction on Sirius has been playing a lot of his music since his death was announced.
We saw him several times over the years and his shows never failed to please. Last time was Christmas before last - he played every year - two shows in one evening. We always went to the first one because the second was past our bedtime.
When you saw him live, it was more like hanging out on the porch than looking at a superstar. His first professional gigs were with a local C & W dance band back in the 50’s, and he sometimes had a story to tell about that.
Which was a wonderful part of his legacy - the connection of music to life and sharing that with his audience. He engaged the audience in a way that I have seen no other performer do.
The world is a better place for Doc having lived in it.
“Tommy Emmanuel has push me beyond anything I’ve ever dreamed of getting these 56 year old fingers to do.”
Danny Gatton has pushed me! But I still fingerpick everything.
Another great one gone! RIP DOC!
Thank you, Doc, for all the joy you’ve given me and will continue to give me.
Whoops, that's three reasons and so many more....
I know they're having a flat-pickin' festival in heaven. Doc was so great. I look forward to meeting him someday.
Saw him on Long Island in a small venue back in the late
80s. Merle was gone only a short time and he performed superbly. But you can tell he was effected sorely by Merle’ passing.
“...He had the nerve and he had the blood...and their never was a boss like the Tennesee stud”
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