Guthrie Thomas (January 6, 1952 – July 13, 2016) was an Americana singer-songwriter, producer and record label executive. After releasing two albums on Capital Records , he started his own label, Eagle Records, and self-released and produced numerous other artists in the 1980s.
81-553: Born Andrew Lynn Herring on January 6, 1952, in Fort Worth, Texas. His family eventually settled in Lawton, Oklahoma, where he married Beverly Ann Hawkins. She sued for abandonment and divorce in 1970 and remarried a year later. Thomas left school before completing ninth grade. In the early 1970s, located in California and credited as Andrew Herring, he played college and community venues as
162-554: A Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award . His fingerpicking and flatpicking skills, as well as his knowledge of traditional American music, were highly regarded. Blind from a young age, he performed publicly both in a dance band and solo, as well as for over 15 years with his son, guitarist Merle Watson , until Merle's death in 1985 in an accident on the family farm. Watson was born in Deep Gap, North Carolina . According to Watson on his three-CD biographical recording Legacy , he got
243-462: A Lorimar agreement with the American Federation of Musicians . Initially set to helm Tootsie after two years of negotiations and Ashby-directed wig and makeup tests, Lorimar executives blocked him from working on the film because part of the pre-production period overlapped with final work on the long-gestating Lookin' to Get Out , which was eventually recut by the studio when Ashby's work
324-577: A Sears Silvertone from Sears Roebuck with his earnings, while his brother bought a new suit. Later in the same interview, Watson mentioned that his first high-quality guitar was a Martin D-18. Watson's earliest influences were country roots musicians and groups such as the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers . The first song he learned to play on the guitar was "When Roses Bloom in Dixieland", first recorded by
405-592: A benefit concert for Thomas. Rumors circulated widely through the community, but Starr did not appear at the DA or in court on Thomas' behalf. A phone call interview, purported to be with Starr, claimed that Starr indeed was at the concert, albeit unobserved. Reporters from the Austin Daily Texan traced the phone number of the Ringo Starr interview and placed a call to it, answered by Guthrie Thomas. The Texan concluded that
486-478: A black comedy inspired by the actor's chance meeting with an international arms dealer on an airplane. Although Southern (who had not had a screenplay go to production in a decade) was rejuvenated by the prospect of working with the duo and produced a script that was said to be on par with his 1960s oeuvre, the project went into development hell after Sellers sudden death from a heart attack in July 1980. During this period,
567-466: A business making custom guitar picks, some in collaboration with long-time Willie Nelson lighting director Budrock Prewitt. Nelson himself was also a frequent guitar pick customer. Guthrie Thomas died on July 13, 2016. Doc Watson Arthel Lane " Doc " Watson (March 3, 1923 – May 29, 2012) was an American guitarist, songwriter, and singer of bluegrass , folk , country , blues , and gospel music . He won seven Grammy awards as well as
648-577: A charge of aggravated kidnapping was filed in the Austin municipal court. Thomas described Vick as his common-law wife and alleged that it was "a family spat that has been carried a little too far." He began a hunger strike in protest of the high bond, which was then lowered to $ 40,000. Writing from the Travis County Jail to the editor of the Austin-American Statesman , Thomas asserted that Vick
729-495: A cooking enthusiast, opened a restaurant in Portland. After several years in Portland, the family returned to Ogden, where Ashby primarily lived with his father. When Ashby was 12 years old, his father committed suicide . Ashby subsequently dropped out of high school. Ashby-approved studio biographies concealed this, falsely stating that he graduated from Utah State University (situated in nearby Logan, Utah) to ensure he fit into
810-491: A country-folk artist. He claimed at the time that, at age 17, he moved to North Carolina to study guitar with Doc Watson . A reporter for The Topanga Messenger recalled meeting him in 1970, "living under the Topanga Center bridge" and grieving for his wife and newborn child, who he claimed recently died in a car accident. He spent much of his time practicing guitar in order to fulfill what "his late wife believed he should be:
891-422: A drug that he only used intermittently after the production of Bound for Glory . As a consequence of these rumors, he slowly became unemployable. Eva Gardos, an editor who worked with Ashby during the period, has asserted that his drug intake remained largely confined to marijuana and psilocybin . Following Being There , Ashby was provisionally set to reunite with Sellers and Terry Southern on Grossing Out ,
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#1732890696482972-435: A limited theatrical release. In September 1983, Ashby directed Solo Trans , a Neil Young concert video that was released the following year. The Slugger's Wife , with a screenplay written by Neil Simon , was a critical and commercial failure. Ashby (whose cocaine use had accelerated throughout the shoot) was fired after delivering a 20-minute rough cut of the beginning of the film that included almost no dialogue. When
1053-422: A little under $ 1 million in returns and rentals on an estimated $ 17 million budget. During this period, Lorimar executives grew less tolerant of his increasingly perfectionist production (811,000 feet of film were used shooting Lookin' to Get Out ) and editing techniques, a montage in the latter film set to The Police 's " Message in a Bottle " took six months to perfect but proved to be logistically unusable due to
1134-675: A local college. He introduced himself to Ramblin' Jack Elliott , who was playing a concert nearby, and persisted in developing a friendship with him. Elliott hired Thomas as a road manager. Through Elliott, he was introduced to Bob Weir , Arlo Guthrie and Hoyt Axton . With these connections, he launched his professional career. Thomas released his first album Sittin’ Crooked in 1974, produced by Raynold Gideon with Larry Hirsch. Elliott contributed liner notes. "It’s not necessary to use words of praise. Guthrie first dazzled me in Colati, Calif. With his lightening fast fingerpicking and abalone guitar. He’s
1215-569: A lot of guts to release a record like this," said OP magazine. "These are eight well-written, lyrically powerful songs that cut to the heart without any pretense." Critic Steven Dillman observed that most of the songs were sad. On one track, Thomas thanks Jerry Jeff Walker for his friendship. On 1983's As Yet Untitled , Thomas contributed a statement on the album jacket, alluding to a turbulent time in his past in which he struggled with "drugs, alcohol and over-inflated ego." He apologized to his friends for his previous years of problematic behavior as he
1296-466: A lot." On June 4, 1976, Thomas, then 24, allegedly pulled his 30 year old girlfriend Virginia Vick from her car in a parking lot near her apartment in Austin, Texas and took her against her will to Lawton, Oklahoma, where Vick alleged she was held captive in the home of Thomas' uncle. Detectives say she was held prisoner until his uncle helped her escape. Thomas denied the charge but surrendered to police on June 24, held on $ 150,000 bond. A few days later,
1377-489: A might good okie songster and a great road buddy in hotels with truckers, cowboys and whores," wrote Elliot. Critic and DJ Jay Meehan observed that the album paid close homage to the styles of Woody Guthrie and Ramblin' Jack. "If anything outshines the hot licks and the poetic lyrics, it is the sheer potential housed within the man," he said. "His next one is bound to be a barn-burner." By this time, Thomas had relocated to Los Angeles. He resided with girlfriend Virginia Vick, who
1458-601: A much-anticipated concert at the music venue Castle Creek, where he was lauded for his "superb" guitar playing amidst poor sound amplification, according to the Austin American-Statesman. While not an "innovative genius," he displayed "technical accomplishment and a well-rooted musicianship." The concert was notable for rumors that Ringo Starr was to attend. Earlier that day, the Austin Citizen carried an interview with Ringo Starr, saying he had come to Austin to play
1539-571: A musician." Thomas claimed that he met Woody Guthrie when he was four years old, when Guthrie and Ramblin' Jack Elliott passed through Oklahoma on a cross-country trip. He later described this story as a "blatant lie." He adopted his stage name as a tribute to Woody Guthrie and Dylan Thomas. Thomas recounted his career origins to the press in different ways. A more recent autobiographical statement on his now-defunct website described living in Rhonert Park, California in 1973, teaching guitar classes at
1620-556: A muted biography of Woody Guthrie starring David Carradine , was the first film to use a Steadicam . In June 1973, Michael Douglas and Saul Zaentz hired Ashby to direct One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest , after the original director Miloš Forman became unavailable due to the reimposition of censorship in his native Czechoslovakia after the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia and after Forman's initial replacement Richard Rush
1701-516: A navy-blue blazer so as to suggest that he was once again employable. Despite these efforts, he could only find work as a television director, helming one of three pilots for Beverly Hills Buntz , an unsuccessful Hill Street Blues spinoff starring Dennis Franz . He also directed Jake's Journey , a sword and sorcery fantasy conceived by Graham Chapman . Longtime friend Warren Beatty advised Ashby to seek medical care after he complained of various ailments, including undiagnosed phlebitis . He
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#17328906964821782-510: A proficient acoustic and electric guitar player. In 1953, Watson joined the Johnson City, Tennessee –based Jack Williams's country and western swing band on electric guitar . The band seldom had a fiddle player, but was often asked to play at square dances . Following the example of country guitarists Grady Martin and Hank Garland , Watson taught himself to play fiddle tunes on his Gibson Les Paul electric guitar. He later transferred
1863-590: A relationship with Gallagher Guitars when he started playing their G-50 model. His first Gallagher, which Watson referred to as "Ol' Hoss", was on display at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville before residing at the Gallagher shop until 2012, when it was auctioned through Christie's on November 27, 2012. In 1974, Gallagher created a customized G-50 line to meet Watson's preferred specifications, which bears
1944-416: A tractor accident on his family farm. Two years later Merle Fest was inaugurated in remembrance of him. Arlen Roth writes, "...we can attribute an entirely new style and a whole generation of pickers to [Watson's] inspiration. He was the first rural acoustic player to truly 'amaze' urban audiences in the early 1960s with his dazzling, fast technique, and he has continued to be a driving, creative force on
2025-753: Is a recipient of a 1988 National Heritage Fellowship awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts , which is the United States government's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. In 2000, Watson was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor in Owensboro, Kentucky . In 1997, Watson received the National Medal of Arts from U.S. President Bill Clinton . In 2010, he
2106-475: The Austin Daily Texan , Thomas criticized the actions of Austin law enforcement, and lamented his relationship with Vick, who had inspired many of his prior songs and most of the material for his upcoming new album. He described plans to scrap those songs and write new material based on his experiences in the Travis County jail, and expressed thanks for the support of Jerry Jeff Walker. On July 19, Thomas played
2187-557: The Burlington Free Press praised his guitar and singing, but criticized his excessive drinking, smoking and swearing on stage, which alienated the attendees. A year later, Thomas was briefly the subject of a death hoax in Austin, but local journalists confirmed he was indeed still alive. After the incident, Thomas released his next album Kidnapped , on Carmen Records. It was recorded directly to two-track tape, with Thomas accompanied only by harmonica player Mark Dawson. "It takes
2268-545: The Carter Family in 1930. Watson said in an interview with American Songwriter that " Jimmie Rodgers was the first man that I started to claim as my favorite." Watson proved to be a natural musical talent and within months was performing on local street corners playing songs from the Delmore Brothers , Louvin Brothers , and Monroe Brothers alongside his brother Linny. By the time Watson reached adulthood, he had become
2349-468: The Oliver Stone -written 8 Million Ways to Die fared similarly at the box office, Ashby's post-production process was considered to be such a liability that he was fired by the production company on the final day of principal photography . Attempting to turn a corner in his declining career, Ashby stopped using drugs, trimmed his hair and beard, and began to frequently attend Hollywood parties wearing
2430-506: The Record Plant . The album Guthrie Thomas I , was released on Capital Records later that year. "The most remarkable new talent of this year and one of the finest of this decade," said a review in The Times . "Guthrie Thomas offers a debut album of stunning dimensions." The Times-Herald of Vallejo, CA gave it 6 out of 10 stars. "Required listening for every budding troubadour," according to
2511-539: The Seeger family , Michelle Shocked , and many others. The book also covers the life, supporting role, and untimely death of Merle Watson . An updated edition was released by Sumach-Red Books in March 2012. In April 2013, Open Records released a multi-disc collection of unreleased recordings by Watson. The collection, titled Milestones , features 94 songs as well as stories, remembrances, and over 500 photographs. The collection
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2592-527: The Silent Generation , the filmmaker (who had been a habitual marijuana smoker since 1950), eagerly embraced the hippie lifestyle, adopting vegetarianism and growing his hair long before it became de rigueur . Over the next ten years, Ashby directed several acclaimed and popular films. Many were about outsiders and adventurers traversing the pathways of life. They included the off-beat romance Harold and Maude (1971), The Last Detail (1973), and
2673-525: The Tucson Daily Citizen , which compared Thomas favorably to Jim Croce. "This album is a find--a real sleeper," said the Los Angeles Free Press . It also received favorable reviews from Variety and The Columbia Record . To promote the album, Capitol released a single, "Arlo Guthrie on Guthrie Thomas", consisting of sample tracks and a phone interview with musician Arlo Guthrie , praising
2754-641: The countercultural attitude of the era. He directed wide ranging films featuring iconic performances. He is associated with the New Hollywood wave of filmmaking with filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese , Woody Allen , Mike Nichols , and Sidney Lumet . Before his career as a director Ashby edited films for Norman Jewison , notably The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966), which earned Ashby an Oscar nomination for Best Editing , and In
2835-401: The social milieu of college-educated peers like Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese . Ashby was married and divorced by the time he was 19. As Ashby was entering adult life, he moved from Utah to Los Angeles , California, where he pursued a bohemian lifestyle and ultimately became an assistant film editor through a long apprenticeship. His career gained momentum when he served as
2916-629: The 1980s. Eagle Records, with Thomas as president and often credited as producer, advertised production and distribution services worldwide. Eagle released albums by a variety of artists, including Mustard's Retreat, Josh White Jr. and Steve Bach . On tour, Guthrie Thomas met a young pianist named John Nilsen, who was selected by a club owner to open Thomas’ concert in Ashland. Thomas signed Nilsen and produced his first three albums ( Sea of Inspiration , Transparencies and October in September ), helping launch
2997-437: The 2002 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album . In 2010, Blooming Twig Books published a comprehensive biography of Watson, written by Kent Gustavson . The book, titled Blind But Now I See: The Biography of Music Legend Doc Watson , features never before published content regarding Watson's life and career, gleaned from interviews with Watson's friends and collaborators including Norman Blake , Sam Bush , members of
3078-453: The Doc Watson name. In 1991, Gallagher customized a personal cutaway guitar for Watson that he played until his death and which he referred to as "Donald" in honor of Gallagher guitar's second-generation proprietor and builder, Don Gallagher. During his last years, Watson played a Dana Bourgeois dreadnought given to him by Ricky Skaggs for his 80th birthday. Another of Watson's favorites
3159-578: The Heat of the Night (1967), which earned him his only Oscar for the same category. Ashby received a third Oscar nomination, this time for Best Director for Coming Home (1978). Other films directed by Ashby include The Landlord (1970), Harold and Maude (1971), The Last Detail (1973), Shampoo (1975), Bound for Glory (1976), and Being There (1979). Ashby was born September 2, 1929, in Ogden, Utah ,
3240-513: The Night . Ashby often stated that the practice of editing provided him with the best filmmaking background outside of traditional university study and carried the techniques learned as an editor with him when he began directing. At the urging of mentor Norman Jewison , Ashby directed his first film, The Landlord —an early rumination on the social dynamics of gentrification in Park Slope, Brooklyn —in 1970. While his birth date placed him within
3321-589: The Night Together , the director was a longtime fan of the group. He collapsed before the final filmed concert at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona , on December 13, 1981. Although Jeff Wexler said Ashby was "partying way beyond his capabilities with the Stones," Caleb Deschanel has said that Ashby (who directed the concert shoot on a gurney) simply had the flu. The film was well-received but gained little traction during
Guthrie Thomas - Misplaced Pages Continue
3402-513: The Robert W. Service of the country/folk scene. The cliches are nearly overwhelming on every cut..." Of 1996's Midnight Train , Dirty Linen said "He gets a good cowboy vibe going, but you know he'll be blowing out of town with the tumbleweeds come the next dust storm." In the late 1970s, Thomas formed Eagle Records, a small independent label. He began releasing and re-releasing his own albums as well as those of other artists. Production continued into
3483-497: The acoustic music scene." Doc Watson played guitar in both flatpicking and fingerpicking style, but is best known for his flatpick work. His guitar playing skills, combined with his authenticity as a mountain musician, made him a highly influential figure during the folk music revival. He pioneered a fast and flashy bluegrass lead guitar style including fiddle tunes and crosspicking techniques which were adopted and extended by Clarence White , Tony Rice and many others. Watson
3564-563: The album was recorded in Los Angeles and included Thomas solo and with Marc Edelsen, while the second side consisted of portions of the KMOR concert with Elliott performing, accompanied by Thomas. Thomas sold the LP at live concerts. Elliott was reportedly unhappy with this unauthorized release. Only 500 copies were pressed. In 1975, Thomas began working with producer Nick Venet and engineer Andy MacDonald at
3645-500: The annual MerleFest music festival held every April at Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina . The festival features a vast array of acoustic style music focusing on the folk, bluegrass, blues and old-time music genres. It was named in honor of Merle Watson and is one of the most popular acoustic music festivals in the world, drawing over 70,000 music fans each year. The festival has continued after his death. Watson
3726-571: The blind, the Governor Morehead School , in Raleigh, North Carolina . In a 1989 radio interview with Terry Gross on the Fresh Air show on National Public Radio , Watson spoke about how he got his first guitar. His father told him if he and his brother David chopped down all the small dead chestnut trees along the edge of their field, they could sell the wood to a tannery . Watson bought
3807-562: The catalog included albums by New Wave band Bully Boy, Deborah Liv Johnson, jazz guitarist Cam Newton, violinist Kim Angelis, and country-charting duo Topel and Ware. After many years as a profession musician, Thomas, citing financial instability, went back to school. He completed a high school degree and enrolled in college, earning degrees in music, psychology and pharmacy. He worked as a pharmacist in Nevada. Rarely performing live, he continued to self-release music on various platforms. He also had
3888-519: The editor of The Loved One (1965), an adaptation of the Evelyn Waugh novel that involved such New Hollywood contemporaries as screenwriter Terry Southern and cinematographer Haskell Wexler . After being nominated for the Academy Award for Film Editing in 1967 for The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming , his big break occurred one year later when he won the award for In the Heat of
3969-411: The finest motion picture directors of the 20th century." Michael Cimino's 1996 film The Sunchaser , about a teenager with pancreatic cancer who refuses medical treatment, was dedicated to Ashby. For the 2012 Sight & Sound Directors Top Ten poll Niki Caro , Cyrus Frisch , and Wanuri Kahiu voted for Harold and Maude , with Frisch describing the film as "an encouragement to think beyond
4050-457: The incident was a hoax, while Thomas denied making claims about Starr's whereabouts. Local press speculated that Thomas' behavior was designed to gain publicity for a flagging career. By August 5, Thomas was back in prison, the result of his bondsman asking to be released from the contract, citing unpaid fees. That November, he played a concert in Burlington, Vermont. Opening for John Hartford ,
4131-482: The newspaper announced an eight-hour concert to raise funds for Thomas, with performances by Arlo Guthrie, Jerry Jeff Walker, Steve Fromholz, John Hartford, B.W. Stevenson, Rusty Wier and Ray Wylie Hubbard. The concert was scheduled to take place on Wednesday, July 14 at the City Coliseum. On the day of the concert, Thomas announced that it was postponed "pending on the birth of Arlo Guthrie's child." In an interview with
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#17328906964824212-424: The nickname "Doc" during a live radio broadcast when the announcer remarked that his given name Arthel was odd and he needed an easy nickname. A fan in the crowd shouted "Call him Doc!", presumably in reference to the literary character Sherlock Holmes 's companion, Doctor Watson . The name stuck. An eye infection caused Watson to lose his vision before his second birthday. He attended North Carolina's school for
4293-413: The pianist's career. By 1985, Thomas claimed to have been in business for 12 years, with 27 acts on the label and distribution deals in 14 countries. "I have no preference to musical style, as long as it's good," he told The Calgary Herald . Illuminations by T.J. Lawrence was lauded by Electronic Sound magazine for its "brilliance" and "outstanding material" being ahead of the time. Other titles in
4374-408: The production and arrangement of the album. "Weak," said The Lawrence Journal-World , which nonetheless noted Thomas' development as an artist and singled out "Band of Steel" as a high point, along with a duet with John Hartford . The Beaver County Times reviewed it favorably, though noting that Thomas had a unique ability to sound like other artists. Dedicated to his then-partner Virginia Vick, it
4455-535: The productions of Second-Hand Hearts and Lookin' to Get Out the latter a Las Vegas caper that reunited him with Voight and featured Voight's young daughter, Angelina Jolie was plagued by the increasingly strained relationship between Ashby and Lorimar. Filmed in 1979, Second-Hand Hearts only received a poorly reviewed limited release in 1981 before being pulled from circulation for nearly thirty years. Belatedly released in October 1982, Lookin' to Get Out earned
4536-693: The same year. After the folk revival waned during the late 1960s, Doc Watson's career was sustained by his performance of the Jimmy Driftwood song " Tennessee Stud " on the 1972 live album recording Will the Circle Be Unbroken . As popular as ever, Doc and Merle began playing as a trio with T. Michael Coleman on bass guitar in 1974. The trio toured the globe during the late seventies and early eighties, recording eleven albums between 1973 and 1985, and bringing Doc and Merle's unique blend of acoustic music to millions of new fans. In 1985, Merle died in
4617-462: The social satire Being There (1979), with Peter Sellers , giving the star a well-received role after many felt he had lapsed into self-parody. His most significant commercial success was Shampoo (1975), a collaboration with Warren Beatty and Robert Towne that satirized late-1960s sexual and social mores through the life of a hairdresser modeled after such contemporaneous figures as Jay Sebring and Jon Peters . Bound for Glory (1976),
4698-469: The success of Coming Home , Ashby was able to form a production company, Northstar, under the auspices of Lorimar . After Being There , Ashby became more reclusive , often retreating to his home in Malibu Colony , a gated enclave in the city. Later, it was widely rumored in a likely whisper campaign from Lorimar (whose executives clashed with the director) that Ashby had become dependent upon cocaine ,
4779-604: The surgery at the age of 89. He is buried in the Merle and Doc Watson Memorial Cemetery, Deep Gap with his wife and son. In 2002, High Windy Audio released a multi-CD biographical album of Watson's work, titled Legacy . The collection features audio interviews with Watson interspersed with music, as well as a complete recording of a live performance at the Diana Wortham Theatre in Asheville, North Carolina . The collection won
4860-597: The technique to acoustic guitar, and playing fiddle tunes became part of his signature sound. During his time with Jack Williams, Watson also supported his family as a piano tuner . In 1960, as the American folk music revival grew, Watson took the advice of folk musicologist and Smithsonian curator Ralph Rinzler and began playing acoustic guitar and banjo exclusively. That move ignited Watson's career when he played on his first recording, Old Time Music at Clarence Ashley 's . Also of pivotal importance for his career
4941-520: The work. Guthrie, Ringo Starr and Hoyt Axton also contributed to radio advertisements for the album's marketing. In 1975, Thomas landed a small role in the Hal Ashby film Bound for Glory , portraying Woody Guthrie's younger brother George. He also contributed to the film as a music coordinator and reportedly tried (unsuccessfully) to teach David Carradine how to play guitar. Lies and Alibis , Thomas' fourth album in total and second on Capital Records,
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#17328906964825022-457: The youngest of four siblings born to Mormon parents Eileen Ireta (née Hetzler) and James Thomas Ashby, a dairy farm owner. Ashby's parents divorced in 1936, after which his father remarried. Following the divorce, Ashby and his siblings lived with their mother, briefly in Logan, Utah , before relocating to Portland, Oregon , where his elder brother took a job in the timber industry. His mother,
5103-553: Was "getting himself back together." By 1977, still living in Topanga Canyon, Thomas claimed to be worth $ 2.5 million, on account of strong overseas sales of his music and royalties from his work on the film Bound for Glory , with hopes of shopping his next album to MCA Records . In 1980, he claimed to be working on a film about Hank Williams, in which he was possibly to star. In 1982 he was reported to be dating Kimi Peck, screenwriter of Little Darlings . 1983's As Yet Untitled
5184-431: Was Thomas' last major-label release. In a 1976 interview with the Austin American-Statesman , Thomas described his working methods at the time: writing songs on legal pads "like you do a script," revising up to 15 times, writing four or five songs per day. He acknowledged heavy cocaine usage, but worked to break the habit due to its detrimental effects. "It makes you pretty scatterbrained and makes you yell at your old lady
5265-409: Was also an accomplished banjo player and sometimes accompanied himself on harmonica as well. Known also for his distinctive and rich baritone voice, Watson over the years developed a vast repertoire of mountain ballads , which he learned via the oral tradition of his home area in Deep Gap, North Carolina . Watson played a Martin model D-18 guitar on his earliest recordings. In 1968, Watson began
5346-475: Was an annual tradition for Watson to join the Nashville Bluegrass Band for a gospel set on the festival's Sunday morning. It would be his final performance. On May 21, 2012, Watson fell at his home. He was not seriously injured in the fall, but an underlying medical condition prompted surgery on his colon. Watson died on May 29, 2012, at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center of complications following
5427-513: Was awarded an honorary doctor of music degree from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts . There is a sign on U.S. Route 421 near Deep Gap (Watson's birthplace) with the inscription, "Doc and Merle Watson Highway", where that part of the highway is named for both Doc Watson and his son. Hal Ashby William Hal Ashby (September 2, 1929 – December 27, 1988) was an American film director and editor . His work exemplified
5508-495: Was created by Watson's daughter, Nancy, and is being produced by ETSU Bluegrass and ETSU professor Roy Andrade. The popularity of the flat picking style of guitar playing has been partially credited to Doc Watson and bluegrass bands have incorporated it widely including artist such as Billy Strings . In 1986, Watson received the North Carolina Award and in 1994 he received a North Carolina Folk Heritage Award . He
5589-471: Was deemed to be unsatisfactory. (Decades later, Ashby's cut was rediscovered and released on DVD in 2009.) As Dustin Hoffman had not offered a "formal commitment" to the production at the time of Ashby's dismissal, the director forfeited his $ 1.5 million fee. While post-production of Lookin' to Get Out continued, Lorimar permitted Ashby to film The Rolling Stones ' 1981 American tour documentary, Let's Spend
5670-471: Was for this film that Ashby earned his only Best Director Oscar nomination. Arriving in the post- Jaws and Star Wars era, Coming Home was one of the last films to encapsulate the modestly budgeted, socially realistic ethos of the New Hollywood era, earning nearly $ 15 million in returns and rentals on a $ 3 million budget. Because of his critical success and dependable profitability, shortly after
5751-719: Was generally joined onstage by his grandson (Merle's son) Richard, as well as longtime musical partners David Holt or Jack Lawrence . On June 19, 2007, Watson was accompanied by Australian guitar player Tommy Emmanuel at a concert at the Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas . Watson also performed, accompanied by Holt and Richard, at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in San Francisco in 2009, as he had done for several previous festivals. Watson hosted
5832-584: Was his Arnold guitar, "The Jimmie", built by luthier John Arnold as a tribute to the famous 1926 Martin 00-18 played by Jimmie Rodgers . In 1994, Watson teamed with musicians Randy Scruggs and Earl Scruggs to contribute the classic song " Keep on the Sunny Side " to the AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Country produced by the Red Hot Organization . In his later life, Watson scaled back his touring schedule. He
5913-655: Was his February 11, 1961, appearance at P.S. 41 in Greenwich Village . He then began to tour as a solo performer and appeared at universities and clubs like the Ash Grove in Los Angeles . Watson would eventually get his big break and rave reviews for his performance at the renowned Newport Folk Festival in Newport, Rhode Island in 1963. Watson recorded his first solo album in 1964 and began performing with his son, Merle in
5994-400: Was his wife of two and a half years and that he was being aided in setting up interviews and press coverage for his plight by friends such as Ringo Starr, the local sheriff Raymond Frank, and Playboy Magazine: "I am no criminal." On July 3, with bail further lowered (to $ 25,000), Thomas posted bond with the aid of several friends. Jerry Jeff Walker was present for his release. A week later,
6075-462: Was in Park City to perform as well. Thomas joined his friend in the studio and the short concert included the two trading songs on air and playing together as station personnel recorded the performance. After the concert, Thomas asked the station for a copy of the recording and in 1975 released the album Dear Ginny on private label Rarer Records, with both artists listed on the cover. The first side of
6156-618: Was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2010. In 1947, Watson married Rosa Lee Carlton, the daughter of popular fiddle player Gaither Carlton . The couple had two children, Eddy Merle (named after country music legends Eddy Arnold and Merle Travis ) in 1949 and Nancy Ellen in 1951. On April 29, 2012, Watson performed with the Nashville Bluegrass Band on the Creekside Stage at MerleFest. It
6237-432: Was praised for its melodies and band but criticized for its lyrical content by one critic. This One's for Sarah and Buffalo received similar critiques from OP Magazine . On 1984's Hobo Eagle Thief "Guthrie Thomas, just as natural as a sunrise, aided by a score of friends, including Ringo Starr on drums. Nine folk treats of merit," said one critic. Another review was less favorable. "The blame rests with his songs; he's
6318-718: Was released in 1976. It featured notable contributions from his friend, drummer Ringo Starr . According to one source, Thomas met Starr while recording a Hoyt Axton television special and the two became good friends, with Thomas a frequent guest at Starr's LA home. Starr played on three tracks from Lies and Alibis and sang a duet with Thomas on the song "Band of Steel," written by Starr and intended for his Beaucoups of Blues album, but given to Thomas to record instead. Other players include drummer Jim Keltner , John Hartford , David Paich , Lyle Ritz , David Foster and Joyous Noise frontman Lee Montgomery. Lies and Alibis received positive to mixed reviews. The Star-Phoenix criticized
6399-564: Was soon diagnosed with pancreatic cancer that rapidly spread to his lungs, colon, and liver. Ashby died on December 27, 1988, at his home in Malibu, California . The Last Detail , Bound for Glory , Coming Home , and Being There were all nominated for the Palme d'Or . American songwriter and guitarist Guthrie Thomas, who coordinated the music in Bound for Glory and acted in the film, called Ashby "one of
6480-545: Was supporting them while Thomas attempted to land a recording contract. An advertisement at McCabe's guitar shop connected Thomas with a new musical collaborator, Marc Edelsen. The two worked together on many subsequent albums. Later that year, Ramblin' Jack Elliott was invited to perform at KMOR, a radio station in Murray, Utah, by DJ Jay Meehan, host of the Mellow Country radio show. Thomas, then acting as Elliott's road manager,
6561-483: Was unable to secure studio funding. Ashby was responsible for casting Jack Nicholson as R.P. McMurphy, but this resulted in a nine-month delay during which Forman fled to the United States and was rehired as director. Aside from Shampoo , Ashby's most commercially successful film was the Vietnam War drama Coming Home (1978). Starring Jane Fonda and Jon Voight , both in Academy Award -winning performances, it
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