We're looking forward to hearing about the life of musician Doc Watson! Eddie will be in conversation with Gregg Kimball at the store.

About the Book:
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.

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


Gregg is a historian, musician, and author. He is currently the Senior Consulting Historian for the Shockoe Institute, a national organization based in Richmond, Virginia, dedicated to examining the enduing effects of slavery on American life. He was formerly a director at the Library of Virginia. Gregg is the author of American City, Southern Place: A Cultural History of Antebellum Richmond and Searching for Jimmie Strother: A Tale of Music, Murder, and Memory. He is dedicated to public education and civic projects, working on everything from the restoration of Richmond’s Tredegar Iron Works to a series of state historical markers commemorating Virginia’s musical heritage. Gregg has performed traditional music in the mid-Atlantic region for more than twenty-five years and presents artists at a variety of festivals including the National Folk Festival and the Lowell Folk Festival. You can discover more about him at: www.greggkimball.com.

placeView on map