Doc Watson

Image No. 64-C1-21 Doc and Rosalee Watson 1964 Newport Folk Festival Doc's wife Rosalee sang with him on his 1963 Folkways album "Doc Watson and His Family" on the moving song "Your Long Journey." In this daytime concert at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival, it is probably that same song they are performing together.

Image No. 64-C1-20 Doc Watson and Gaither Carlton 1964 Newport Folk Festival Like Doc, the old-time fiddler Gaither Carlton was first introduced to urban folk audiences as a member of Clarence Ashley's family of musicians. Carlton was the father of Doc's wife, Rosalee.

Image No. 64-2-8 Ralph Rinzler and Doc Watson Club 47, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1964 Ralph Rinzler was instrumental in bringing Clarence Ashley's "family" of traditional musicians, including Doc Watson, to the clubs and concert halls of the early-sixties folk revival. By so doing, Ralph played a big part in Doc Watson's rise to fame, which led to Doc's widespread influence on a new generation of guitar players. In addition to his many efforts on behalf of traditional music and musicians, Ralph was a member of the New York-based bluegrass band, the Greenbriar Boys.

Image No. 63-3N-29 Bill Monroe and Doc Watson 1963 Newport Folk Festival At the end of his solo set at Newport '63, Doc called out Bill Monroe to join him in a duet.

Image No. 64-2-10: Doc Watson backstage Club 47, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1964 Between sets at the Club 47, Doc checks the Braille set list he has taped to the side of his guitar.

Image No. 63-4N-14: Doc Watson on banjo 1963 Newport Folk Festival Best known for his dazzling guitar flatpicking, Doc Watson is an accomplished old-time banjo player as well. Here, John Cohen of the New Lost City Ramblers accompanies Doc while Mike Seeger looks on.

Image No. 63-1N-18 Doc Watson solo at Newport 1963 Newport Folk Festival Doc Watson first appeared on record, and on the folk music circuit, with Clarence Ashley's family of old-time musicians, but Doc's ground-breaking guitar playing soon propelled him to stardom on his own.