merle 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.

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

Over the years, MerleFest has become an annual homecoming for both music fans and the artists who perform there. Two of the musicians who return every year and who knew the Watsons well spoke with WFDD's David Ford about Doc, Merle, and the festival that bears his name.