Doc Watson died on Tuesday, May 29, at age 89. He had undergone colon surgery last week and was still at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Doc Watson, who was blind from infancy, earned his nickname at the suggestion of an audience member during a radio broadcast. The North Carolina native, who gained notoriety during the folk music revival of the 1960s, recorded 60 albums over the years and earned seven Grammy awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award during his career.
Stay tuned for editor Mark Kemp's tribute to Watson.