By the 1950s, Doc had begun to play electric guitar in addition to acoustic, and as he performed in various groups he even found himself occasionally playing a little rock and roll. But by the end of the decade he'd moved back closer to traditional country and folk music and had pretty much decided to stick to acoustic guitar, although he'd added banjo to his skill set. The stage was set for his breakout, which came via his appearance on the 1960 album, Old Time Music at Clarence Ashley's. Ashley was a folk music icon from an earlier era, but he'd had some recent successes that allowed him to put together a recording session with Doc and a few others. Even though the two would continue to work together from time to time, it was this landmark album that played a significant part in Doc's march to stardom.
In the decades since, Doc has enjoyed success after success, including star turns at folk festivals and appearances with many of the biggest names around. In addition to working with his fellow guitar virtuosos Atkins and Travis, he's also shown up in highly visible guest spots such as performing on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's seminal 1972 album, Will the Circle Be Unbroken.
He also helped give a start to his talented son, Merle Watson, and the two performed together for many years, including a period as a trio with bassist Michael Coleman. (Video below.) Unfortunately, Merle died in a tragic accident at the family farm in 1985, but even though that slowed Doc a little, this much-honored national treasure eventually continued doing what he still does better than almost anybody — making music.
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