Doc Watson

For many people, Watson is the face of traditional music, with a voice and finger-picking style that has influenced generations of musicians. Born and raised on a High Country farm, Watson rose to fame in the early '60s, bridging the gap between folk music and bluegrass, and would go on to release dozens of albums and win multiple Grammys.

The festival continues the legacy of High Country musician Doc Watson and his son Merle.

An artist who commemorates North Carolina’s musical heritage has just completed a mural of Doc and Merle Watson in Boone. Since 2020, Scott Nurkin has…

MerleFest organizers have announced their schedule for this year’s festival in Wilkes County with music to honor two important milestones. The festival…

This week we hear the stories of Betse Ellis and Clarke Wyatt, who came from the worlds of classical, rock and jazz, and fell totally in love with…

Arthel Lane “Doc” Watson (1923-2012) was a North Carolina mountain musician who made a global impact, playing fully traditional music, rockabilly, blues,…

The Mountains of Music Homecoming is just around the bend. The movable feast of roots music takes place in communities around southwestern Virginia June…

A festival that started small at Wilkes Community College in North Carolina has become one of the most enthusiastically supported roots music events in…

This week we hear from a varied group of piedmont and mountain south artists for a joyful, invigorating hour of listening. Bluesman John Jackson provides…

MerleFest is an annual "traditional plus" music festival held in Wilkesboro, North Carolina on the campus of Wilkes Community College. It was founded in…