Doc Watson discusses his son Merle's musical influences, and then Doc & Merle play "Make Me A Pallet" and "Streamline Cannonball." From the DVD "Doc & Merle Watson In Concert." More info at stefan-grossmans-guitar-works...
How blessed Doc was to have a son to play music with. Not everyone this side of heaven gets to do that and do it so well. Thank you Doc and Merle for the legacy you left for your family and the world. Blessings to your family right now.
so amazing hearing him talk about hanging and playing with John Hurt. Ive always dreamed of heaven as all my heroes up there playin music, and i get to sit and pick with them!
I was blessed as a child to have Doc and Merle come to my home and play. If they were home and had the time they were there.They played late into the night.My dad,Uncle Charles,Kelly Green and several others from time to time. One of the biggest mistakes i ever made was NOT letting Doc or Merle teach me to play.They wanted to but i just (as a kid)had no interest.Doc and Merle loved my mom's biscuits and pop corn. She would pop on an old wood cook stove. Ah,the memories. Doc will be misssed.
True....and he should be! And Merle's untimely passing was a tragedy. But in true Doc Watson fashion he made something good out of it....Merlefest now in its 34th year!
I saw Doc and Merle in the1970s several times at Sanders Theatre at Harvard in Cambridge MA . I saw a lot of the original blues and oldtime artists from the South, too. Doc was, by far, the best at understanding who the audience was, and showing who he, himself, was. A consummate artist and an intelligent, funny, warm performer. Many others I saw would put on "personas" to play the loudest, fastest music that they thought educated urban Northerners would want to hear. Doc never went for the lowest common denominator, but always gave you the full spectrum of his music and his thoughts and feelings. RIP Doc.
Priceless footage. It gives me goose bumps, and in the next breath it makes me want to weep. Doc was a National treasure, and Merle was right behind him, had he lived long enough.
We lived in North Carolina when Merle had that horrible accident. We had seen Doc Watson numerous times. Any time he was playing within a 5 hour drive. He is a wonderful, sweet person. He said he wouldn't be performing anymore in the papers. He took quite a bit of time off, but we were so glad when he started playing again. He couldn't see it, but he got a standing ovation coming into the rooms! It was deserved.
I got to see Doc and Merle in 1975 in NYC. I was just amazed at how efficiently they played, no wasted effort. That's how they could play so many notes so well. Merle died in 1985 in a tractor accident on his farm. He was only 36.
Its been about a decade or so ago....I was at the dump here in the Gap,had my best coondog a ridin shotgun in the truck....I seen Doc,over by the recycling dumpster,can't recall who he was with,but I started that way,and my ol dog cut a shine and Doc looked our way and said .."Boy,I shore like the mouth on an ol Bluetick"...That was all the confirmation,I needed,to know that the man was a genius...I've been around coondogs all my upbringin....and its damn near impossible to hear a dogs voice and tell if its Redbone or a Walker..... How he knew I had a Bluetick,I'll never know....We miss you,Doc.....the "Cat" aint the same.
If there ever was a term like "organic music", this'll be it!!! I can listen to this 24/7, true raw beautiful talent. We need more music like this in today's society.
Well I was one of those lucky people who got to see Doc and Merle playing together, back in the '70s. It was at McCabe's Guitar Store in Santa Monica, and I've never forgotten it. When Doc lost Merle, it was an enormous tragedy and a huge loss to the Watson family and the music world in general. Now they're both gone, but never forgotten.
37BopCity 2017 I saw Doc & Merle in the 70's at Wolftrap in Va .Docs oncore song was Dixie on the harmonica. Doc humorously titled Dixie the virginia national anthem. That was to funny😂
I grew up in NC, so I saw Doc more times than I can count, but the times I saw this trio were the best. You were lucky to see them together, cause Merle was young when he died.
I never got to see Merle play. But I do remember when it was reported on the local TV news(in Charlotte) when he died. I was lucky to see Doc and T Michael Coleman, along with Richard Watson, quite a few times, especially at Merlefest. One of the best times was when Doc was just sitting in as a sideman. He wasn't on the bill, just a sideman that night.
I opened for Doc & Merle in N. San Diego County in 1978. La Paloma Theatre in Encinitas......T. Michael Coleman on Bass and Joe on Rhythm guitar & harmony singing were with them......could have been on the same tour you saw them since they played back east much more than here in California.
I love the respect and the appreciation these great musicians have for the people they learned from and took on some of their personality in their playing. For me this is a big part of makes a real musician.
Merle's enormous talent was often overshadowed by that of his father, and his reluctance to assume the limelight. But Merle was every bit the musical genius his father was. Lord have mercy, they sure could play!
I saw doc and Merle a couple of dozen times. Merle was my buddy. Whenever he came to Atlanta we’d get together. The last time I saw Merle was at the Great Southeast Music Hall. I was standing in line to get a beverage and someone slapped the back of my head. I looked around and there was Merle, grinning at me as he headed for the green room.
I happened to see Doc and Merle in 1973 almost by chance in a little club in Bryn Mawr. I am so glad I made the effort to get there cos it was a privilege to see them both.
Wow! Lucky enough to see Doc and Merle up close and personal at guitar clinic they put on while performing in Telluride '84 or '85. One of the first albums I bought while learning guitar was Mississippi John at Hurt performing at Oberlin college in 1965. Lucky enough also to have had a 78 of Roy Acuff's Streamline Cannonball thanks to my Mom and Dad. Awesome clip!
I opened for Doc & Merle, with Michael as seen here on Bass and Joe was on rhythm/harmony singing in both 1976 in Florida and then again in California in 1978. This video looks to be taken around that same era....but I don't see Joe. I play harmonica (48 years) and started out in Bluegrass bands in Florida as a kid. Then moved to California and played in a Honky Tonk band full-time there. As I have seen the story by the man who founded Taylor Guitars, that he was 10 years old when he saw Doc & Merle at the theatre where I mentioned opening for them.......this was 1978 and he said this inspiration and being in awe of Doc & Merle and credits this as his going on to years later to start Taylor Guitars......they are made here in San Diego, the headquarters. I have family in NC who knew Doc & Merle there too.......they were always very nice to me and being able to chat with them back stage was a treat. I played for Doc a demo tape of mine and he said "that sounds like Little Walter" which is a high compliment for a harmonica player. Love and Prayers for Doc & Merle.
My Dad told me about Doc and his son Merl many years ago he loved their playing. I never forgot that and I can see why he felt the way he did about them. I hope he got to meet them now since their all together in Heaven.
Hard to compare when John hurt is a country blues picker who plays in a 3 chord pocket. While Johnson is a delta blues and slide player. While both were masters of there style, i do prefer John hurt. He is the primary influence of my playing.
It makes me wish I was older. This is all before my time, but I've developed a big love for this sort of folk and bluegrass style music. Being born and raised in the northwest means I was never exposed to this music growing up either.
Shenanigan Samurai ya man i feel ya been listening to this kinda stuff since i was in grade school and im 23 ive always felt i grew up in the the wrong generation
I'm interested in knowing where these lyrics came from for Pallet on the Floor. They are not the same as traditional Piedmont (Hurt) or traditional Delta (Chatman).
