I was fortunate enough to hear Doc and Merle play in a tiny coffeehouse in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1969. I remember how proud Doc was that Merle had learned to play the banjo so quickly. Their performance that night got me interested in bluegrass music, and although I was never a good enough guitar player to handle bluegrass, Doc Watson was one of my inspirations when I later took up guitar and began performing myself.