JoAnne, Roland, Eric Jr. and Clarence White play on the Riverside Rancho TV program (mid-1950s). Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine Archives
The New Sound of Bluegrass America
The story of one of America’s greatest bluegrass bands begins in Maine in the French-speaking home
Regarding Doc Watson’s influence on Clarence White’s guitar journey, in addition to seeing Watson at the Ash Grove around 1962, Clarence played rhythm guitar behind Watson at someone’s house in L.A. There’s a tape of that performance and I have a copy. Watson did most of the fancy fiddle tunes he would later put out on record, like ‘Beaumont Rag’ and ‘Fisher’s Hornpipe’. I had always wondered why Clarence never took a break on any of the 21 tunes on that tape. Now I know why, he just hadn’t learned lead guitar by then, at the age of 18. I wonder if Doc Watson realized later how important his influence was on Clarence’s development.
I saw Doc at his gig with Clarence Ashley’s band at the Ash Grove, but didn’t know that Clarence was in the audience listening intently.