A Song Worthy of the Legend: Doc Watson

Born in Deep Gap, “just down the road a piece” from Cheap Joe’s of Boone, Doc Watson is a household name in the mountains of NC. A great friend of Cheap Joe’s, the man was like Joe Miller, himself, from the first time you met him, you felt like you’ve known him forever. Whether he met you on the streets of downtown Boone or up in New York City at a concert, he was just the same no matter what. Doc never really thought of himself as famous, well known, maybe, but not famous. He grew up around these parts and was raised on “just enough” like most of us were.  No matter how “well known” he became, he never forgot where he came from.

Now, Doc loved music and it didn’t matter where he was, if someone mentioned pickin’, he would just sit right down and begin to play. He “played by ear” because he couldn’t see, due to an early eye infection that left him blind. But he fully experienced life with his ears and his hands and his heart. He saw things better than most because he truly listened, he generously shared his music and stories, and he viewed all people through his heart.

Doc loved his family, his wife, Rosa Lee and two kids, Merle and Nancy. And it was his love for his family that began the Merlefest Concert tradition. This event was a tribute to his son, Merle, whose untimely death in 1985 shook the music world. The concert was, originally, a fundraiser to create a garden at the Wilkes County Community College in 1988. Now, 25 years later, it is one of the biggest country music events in the nation, bringing thousands of people to the area and some of the best names in the music business.

Doc was a storyteller as much as he was a musician. And if you’ve ever seen him perform, the one thing you would have come away with was his true love for his wife, Rosa Lee. She was at the center of Doc’s life from day one. He talked and talked about how they met and how she changed his life and how he couldn’t have lived without her.  Their love was one that would last a lifetime, and blessed by God, a love that will find them together again, one day. It was this love that carried him home, just two months after the 25^th Merlefest Concert that was held in April 2012.

Below is a song was written by Pierce Ray Pettis and Sally Jill Barris, and sung by Bill Agle. It appears on Bill’s album “Road to Damascus”.  It was originally written for Pierce’s children, however, Agle felt this song reflected Doc’s beliefs about life and death, and he thinks Doc would have said: “Don’t take it hard when I go, It’s O.K.,  Love’s gonna’ carry me home.”

Doc will be missed. His stories and songs will live on throughout time. But he will be waiting for the time when love will carry all of us home.

In Memory of  Arthel Lane “Doc” Watson   1923-2012