When Doc Watson Come To Johnson City

When Doc Watson Come To Johnson City he came by bus starting in the late 1950s to play in Jack Williams’ all kinds of music band. Doc played a Les Paul guitar and Jack played piano. The band played dances, VFW halls and any other place that would hire them.

Doc traveled back to Johnson City in the late 1970’s and played the legendary music club, The Down Home, (now celebrating 50 years). Doc performed there for 37 years in all of his musical entities, with his son Merle, T. Micheal Coleman, Jack Lawrence, Frosty Morn Band and with his Grandson, Richard Eddy. In those early shows at The Down Home, Jack Williams would join Doc and Merle on stage for half a set or so and that’s when you needed to hold onto your seat as they brought those back room stories to the stage. I loved watching Merle listening to the two of them, half embarrassed and shaking his head, half smiling.

“What’s it worth to sing this song? It’s the question East Tennessee culture keeper and songwriter Ed Snodderly aka Es Pearl asks. Listeners wonder why they hadn’t thought of it that way as he shares the way he sees things.”
Ivy Sheppard, NPR Correspondent

The Country Music Hall Of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee installed the third verse of his song, The Diamond Stream, on the wall in the Hall Of Honor. He appears in Oh, Brother! Where Art Thou! Ed considers himself the maintenance man at The Down Home. He teaches songwriting in the Bluegrass, Old-Time program at ETSU.

Ed has recorded on several record labels including Sugar Hill Records and most recently a reissue on Bear Family Records. In 2022, his Chimney Smoke release received critical acclaim for the quality of song and its above average recorded sound by the late, great Bil Vorndick.

When Doc Watson Come To Johnson City is the first single from ES PEARL PRESENTS…BAGGAGE FLIES FREE on NEED TO KNOW RECORDS.