On the album "Will The Circle Be Unbroken"--the first one--Doc and Merle Travis are actually meeting for the first time and Merle says, either out of nervousness or because he truly didn't know who he was meeting, "I sure am glad to finally meet Doc HOPKINS."

Doc Hopkins was a star of the old WLS BARN DANCE radio show out of Chicago. Had a voice very much like Bradley Kinkaid's. The WLS BARN DANCE preceeded the Grand Ole Opry by a few years. Mr. Hopkins was living and singing around Chicago into the early 70s---maybe later. He was a big influence on Stephen Wade--tha pretty good banjo frailer who did some very popular 1-man shows (Banjo Dancing & others)

Art Thieme