Doc Watson

A Life in Music

Eddie Huffman

$62.95

Hardback

Forthcoming
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English

The University of North Carolina Press
14 January 2025

Music; Theory of music & musicology; Folk & traditional music; Country & Western music; Individual composers & musicians, bands & groups

Series: American Music: New Roots

"Arthel """"Doc"""" Watson (1923–2012) is arguably one of the most influential musicians Appalachia has ever produced. A musician's musician, Doc grew up on a subsistence farm in the North Carolina mountains during the Depression, soaking up traditional music and learning to play guitar even though he was blind. Rising to fame in the 1960s as part of the burgeoning folk revival scene, Doc became the face of traditional music for many listeners, racking up multiple Grammys and releasing dozens of albums over the course of his long career. Eddie Huffman tells the story of Doc's life and legacy, drawing on extensive interviews and hundreds of hours of archival research. In making the most comprehensive biography of Watson ever, Huffman gives us an affecting and informative portrait of the man they called Doc.

Full of fascinating stories—from Doc's first banjo made from his grandmother's cat to the founding of MerleFest—this promises to be the definitive biography of the man and how he came to be synonymous with roots music in America and shows how his influence is still felt in music today."

By: Eddie Huffman
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 235mm, Width: 155mm,
ISBN: 9781469680354
ISBN 10: 1469680351
Series: American Music: New Roots
Pages: 288
Publication Date: 14 January 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Eddie Huffman is a writer, reporter, and author of John Prine: In Spite of Himself. He lives in Greensboro, North Carolina.