On Thursday, Sept. 14, The GRAMMY Museum, in simultaneity with the Americana Music Association, will host a celebration of Doc Watson in his 100th birthday year.
It includes a conversation moderated by WNYC’s John Schaefer with Steve Earle, Bill Frisell, Matthew Stevens, and Yasmin Williams to celebrate the album, I Am A Pilgrim: Doc Watson at 100. This intimate discussion will take place at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York with a performance to follow.
I Am A Pilgrim: Doc Watson at 100 is a new tribute album that celebrates the deep influence and legacy of the legendary North Carolina folk musician Doc Watson. The album includes a diverse and impressive lineup of Hall of Fame inductees, GRAMMY award winners, and NPR Tesk Diny alumni, including Dolly Parton, Rosanne Cash, John Leventhal, Jeff Parker, Valerie June, Nora Brown, Jerry Douglas, and more.
The record pays homage to Watson’s lasting legacy on American music, showcasing the power and relevance of his music a century after his birth. It has been spotlighted by Rolling Stone, NPR’s Fresh Air, SPIN, Stereogum, and more. The album features new renditions of some of Watson’s most beloved recordings from his expansive catalog, highlighting his talent and charisma.
Arthel Lane “Doc” Watson earned seven GRAMMY Awards and 23 nominations including the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. He received the National Medal of Arts in 1997 from President Clinton and has been the subject of multiple books, boxed sets, and compilation albums. Watson was an integral part of the early 1960s folk revival and became known as one of the greatest flatpicking guitarists of all time, a style that influenced the playing of countless guitarists, releasing 30 albums spanning 50 years. He was also considered a master of the banjo and lost his eyesight at a young age.
Given Watson’s seismic impact on guitar playing, there are many guitar-playing styles represented on the record, from the finger-tapping style of Yasmin Williams (“Doc’s Guitar,” a Watson original) to the slide guitar of Ariel Posen (“Will The Circle Be Unbroken”) and the harmonics featured on Lionel Loueke’s version of “Reuben’s Train.” Young adult Nora Brown contributes a moving rendition of the hymn “Am I Born To Die.” The album concludes with “Your Lone Journey,” a song that Watson penned while mourning his son, and lovingly interpreted here by Bill Frisell.
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