Page 40 - Doc Watson News Today

Michael Cleveland was born blind and mostly deaf. That was only the beginning of his journey to become one of modern bluegrass’s most compelling musicians.

Doc Watson’s popularity and influence came from his virtuosic guitar playing, powerful voice, broad musical taste, folksy storytelling and lack of pretense.

Sundays powerhouse Ryman gig caps a big weekend for the young ’grass master and his band

March 1: “The Three Pickers,” a concert filmed in 2002 at Reynolds Auditorium featuring Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs and Ricky Skaggs, with guest appearance from Alison Krauss; at Aperture Cinema,

Born in Stony Fork and raised in Deep Gap — both tiny communities tucked in the mountainous folds of Watauga County — Doc Watson rose to fame as a dazzling

Billy Strings, the 30-year-old guitar player, singer-songwriter, and band leader from Michigan, has become a phenomenon in roots music in the past few years. He’s now gone where few bluegrass acts have gone before, headlining arenas, reaching thousands of new fans who are getting their first taste of the tradition through this charismatic and incendiary artist. Will it accrue to the benefit of the genre overall? Craig Havighurst attended Saturday night’s show and came back optimistic.

Photo by Jesse Faatz Last night, Billy Strings performed his second evening at the Joun Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va., following an appearance

Minnesota country and folk artists Aaron Simmons, Kelley Smith, and Jake Nelson perform March 3.

Reader letters published in our March 2023 issue.

WILKESBORO — MerleFest celebrates what would be founder Doc Watson’s 100th birthday over the weekend of April 27 to 30, 2023, in Wilkesboro, NC.