Behind the Music

North Carolina’s most celebrated songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Arthel Lane “Doc” Watson, is an American music treasure. The blind musician’s fleet-fingered guitar acrobatics and mastery of bluegrass, folk, country, and gospel music have earned him seven Grammy awards, as well as the respect and admiration of legends ranging from Bob Dylan to Ben Harper and Ricky Skaggs. Kent Gustavson’s comprehensive biography, Blind But Now I See, is a meticulously researched love letter to Watson and the enduring power of traditional American music. From Watson’s humble beginnings in Deep Gap (where he still lives) and his first $12 Stella guitar, to the musical pursuits that brought the gifted flat-picker to the masses, Gustavson paints the clearest picture to date of the life and career of Watson. It’s essential reading for the MerleFest crowd, and deserving of a space on any music lover’s bookshelf.