Willie Watson is a one-of-a-kind singer and showman, a channeler of folk traditions who brings all the folks in his audiences along for the ride. He has spent the last couple decades as a professional musician, releasing albums and touring as a founding member of Old Crow Medicine Show, contributing to projects from Gillian Welch and David Rawlings and The Watkins Family, and even making two solo albums collecting his favorite folk songs. But he calls his latest, self-titled album his debut. Why? Because in a new phase of life and career he’s stepping up with his own original songs, even as he continues to honor the traditional songs and sounds he’s always loved.
He brought many of those songs to Fletcher Opera Theater in Raleigh on March 21, 2025, weaving them in among personal stories and, of course, lots of careful tuning as he switched between banjo and guitar. Accompanied by fiddle and bass, the songs filled the theater and won over the audience. Learn more about Willie Watson here.
The show was opened by Western North Carolina duo Zoe & Cloyd, who played songs from their latest album, 2023’s Songs of Our Grandfathers, and across their catalog. The husband-and-wife duo spoke about the devastation and resilience of the region, and performed a couple songs highlighting those traits and the importance of loving and helping one’s neighbors. The following day, they taught a bluegrass fiddle workshop focused on the songs of John Cloyd Miller’s grandfather, Jim Shumate, a one-time member of Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys. Learn more about Zoe & Cloyd here.
Photos by Todd Gunsher
