Born in 1923 in Deep Gap, Arthel Lane “Doc” Watson influenced generations of country, folk and bluegrass artists with his flatpicking approach to the guitar. Watson went blind at age one following an eye infection and quickly grew immersed in music thanks to his parents, who performed in the local church choir and sang secular and religious songs. By the age of five, Watson was playing the banjo and harmonica, and by 1953 he was playing electric for a local country swing band. Watson’s solo career took off following a performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1963, as folk music was developing into a cultural phenomenon; he released his solo debut, Doc Watson and Family, that same year.
Watson won seven Grammys and received the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement award in 2004. In 1997, then-President Bill Clinton presented Watson with the National Medal for the Arts, in recognition of his significant impact on national heritage music.