Doc Watson and Friends perform Oct. 24 at ASU
‘Hills of Home’ comes to Farthing

Deep Gap’s own Doc Watson will appear with two of North Carolina’s other musical treasures, David Holt and special guest Riley Baugus, at Farthing Auditorium on Friday, Oct. 24 at 8 p.m. in a special performance entitled “Hills of Home.”

“Hills of Home” is an evening of story and song that chronicles the remarkable life of local musician Doc Watson, the powerful singer and tremendously influential picker who virtually invented the art of playing mountain fiddle tunes on the flattop guitar. Joined by accomplished storyteller and acclaimed multi-instrumentalist David Holt, and accompanied by singer and old-time musician Riley Baugus, Doc includes the audience in a front-porch style, conversational show as he tells stories while singing and picking with his friends.

Born into a family already rich in musical tradition, Arthel “Doc” Watson’s love affair with music began at age 13, when he picked up a guitar and taught himself the chords to When the Roses Bloom in Dixieland. Blinded during infancy, Doc would listen to vinyl records of other artists’ songs and, after learning them, would put his own original spin on them.

A recipient of countless awards, including the National Medal of Arts, the National Heritage Fellowship and eight Grammys, Doc gave his first solo performance in 1962 at Gerde’s Folk City in Greenwich Village. From then on, he was a full-time professional, playing a wide range of concerts, clubs, colleges and festivals, including the Newport Folk Festival and Carnegie Hall. As the late ’60s brought a waning of the folk revival, Doc’s son, Merle Watson, provided the musical and emotional companionship that he needed to continue touring. With Merle playing guitar and banjo and serving as partner and driver, the father-son team expanded their audience nationwide.

Today, it is a mark of achievement for musicians to say they have played with Doc Watson. He has played and recorded with countless artists, including Flatt & Scruggs, Chet Atkins, Ricky Skaggs and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

Although he briefly stopped performing after Merle died in a 1985 tractor accident, Doc now accepts a limited number of engagements. While two recent, major surgeries have diminished his stamina from what it was a year ago, musically he remains the same old Doc. He gives full breadth to his musical expression, sleeping in his own house in Deep Gap, on land homesteaded by his great-great-grandfather.

For almost 30 years, Doc Watson has known and recorded with David Holt, four-time Grammy Award-winning musician, storyteller, historian, television host and entertainer. Holt plays 10 acoustic instruments and has released numerous recordings of traditional mountain music and southern folktales. He tours the country playing with his friend and mentor, Doc Watson, as well as his band The Lightning Bolts. Since 1981, Holt has made entertaining his career. He has appeared as a guest on the Grand Ole Opry, numerous television shows, and performed in the popular film O Brother, Where Art Thou. His well-known television show Folkways airs regularly on PBS. In 2002, Holt and Watson received a Grammy for their title recording together, Legacy.

Complimenting the rich mountain folk tunes of Watson and storytelling of Holt is the serious banjo picking of North Carolina native Riley Baugus. Raised by a family that often played recordings of old-time music, he developed a love and appreciation for traditional, Southern Appalachian music. He began playing fiddle at age 10, built his first banjo with his father and began playing it at age 12, and built his skills playing with elder, traditional musicians. Baugus has played with numerous old-time string bands, and has just released his new Sugar Hill recording Long Steel Rail. His singing is featured on the soundtrack to the recent Academy Award-winning film Cold Mountain.

The 2008-09 Performing Arts Series is a presentation of Appalachian State University’s Office of Arts and Cultural Programs. The mission of the series is to support the teaching mission of Appalachian State University by presenting a diverse array of music, dance and theatre events designed to enrich the cultural landscape of the campus and surrounding region. By creating memorable performance experiences and related educational and outreach activities, the series promotes the power and excitement of the live performance experience; provides a “window on the world” through the artistry of nationally and internationally renowned artists; and showcases some of the finest artists of Appalachian State University’s campus community and the surrounding region.

Appalachian’s Performing Arts Series presents events through April, including: Teatro Lirico D’Europa performing Bizet’s “Carmen” (Friday, Nov. 14); Blind Boys of Alabama (Saturday, Dec. 6); African Children’s Choir (Tuesday, Jan. 27); LA Theatre Works: The Great Tennessee Monkey Trials (Wednesday, Feb. 11); Blue Note Records’ 70th Anniversary Tour (Tuesday, Feb. 17); and North Carolina Dance Theatre’s “American Masterpieces” (Thursday, April 2).

Performance tickets make great gifts that last throughout the year. A new “Flex 4” pass offers a 10-percent discount and allows its holder to use four tickets in any combination at any time throughout the series. Tickets may be purchased by calling the box office at (800) 841-ARTS or (828) 262-4046 or online at www.pas.appstate.edu.

The Performing Arts Series would be unable to present and publicize its wide range of extraordinary programming without critical support from a group of sponsors that are dedicated to promoting the arts in the region, including: McDonald’s of Boone, Charter Media, The Mountain Times, All About Women magazine, the Winston-Salem Journal, the High Country Press, 100.7 MacFM, Mix 102.3, Mountain Television Network, WDAV 89.9, WFDD 88.5, WETS 89.5, WNCW 88.7 and WASURocks 90.5FM.

Tickets to the Oct. 24 “Hills of Home” performance are $18 for the general public, $16 for seniors, ASU faculty and staff and $10 for students and children. Ticket prices increase at the door on show nights. For tickets or information, call the Farthing Auditorium Box Office at (800) 841-ARTS (2787) or (828) 262-4046, or visit www.pas.appstate.edu. Farthing Auditorium is located at 733 Rivers St., and box office hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday.