Doc Watson playing his guitar in Deep Gap, NC

The First Family of NC Mountain Music

Doc Watson’s legendary flat-picking style helped define the sound of North Carolina. But he would’ve been the first to say that he was one link in a long tradition of folk and bluegrass. Raised in a musical home in Deep Gap, his influence branched out far beyond Watauga County, welcoming new generations of musicians into the fold.

History

John Coltrane playing saxophone.

Coltrane’s High Point

The legacy of one of the world’s most influential jazz musicians has its roots in the Piedmont city where he grew up, which has finally embraced this 20th-century musical icon.

George Masa’s Peak Dedication

In the early 20th century, a Japanese photographer and his writer friend traversed the rugged terrain north of Cherokee, mapping its peaks and valleys, documenting its beauty. In the process, they helped save the land we now know as Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

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