Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Doc Watson’s discovery by Ralph Rinzler, Blooming Twig Books has just released “Blind But Now I See,” (www.docwatsonbook.com) a no-holds barred biography of the legendary guitarist’s life and career.
Written by Dr. Kent Gustavson, this controversial, first-ever biography of the folk and bluegrass icon has quickly become an Amazon Bestseller, reaching #1 in the Country & Folk category.
The book was researched over six years, and provides the first ever comprehensive look into the folk music icon’s life. “Blind But Now I See” also features dozens of never-before-seen photographs, as well as artist renderings from throughout Doc Watson’s childhood and career.
The book reveals never before released details about Doc Watson’s life including:
- The inside story of Doc Watson’s discovery and rise to greatness, researched from the private notes of his late discoverer Ralph Rinzler, detailing Doc’s rise from sideman to superstar and from local stages to Carnegie Hall.
- A full history of Doc’s family, his time at the Raleigh School for the Blind, his family’s deep roots in North Carolina, and his treasured first string instrument, a banjo crafted by his father from the hide of his granny’s old cat.
- The true story of Doc’s son, slide guitarist Merle Watson’s rise to the top, his tragic tractor accident, and his friends who gathered around his grave at the funeral to sing “Midnight Rider.”
“Blind But Now I See” includes previously unpublished details about Doc Watson’s life and music career and is already one of the most talked-about books of the year. Chock-full of new and compelling interviews, the story is told through the experiences of more than 70 notable musicians and experts on Doc Watson’s life.
“Doc Watson is not only a great-great-grandfather himself; he is the patriarch of a long line of flatpicking guitarists like Clarence White and Tony Rice, and the father of the acoustic genre, intimately influencing everyone from Bob Dylan to the Grateful Dead, and from Gillian Welch to Pete Seeger,” said author Gustavson. “Doc Watson is a bridge between old and new music, electric and acoustic, New York and Nashville. He is a living, breathing, Americana museum, and he’s still out on the road touring today at age 87.”
Gustavson is a professor, musician, classical composer and author.
[...] with the 50th anniversary of Doc Watson’s discovery, Blooming Twig Books has just released Blind But Now I See: The Biography of Music Legend Doc [...]