MerleFest, the "traditional music" festival held yearly in Wilkesboro, NC, will surprisingly feature Merle Haggard as a headliner for the first time in its 26-year existence when it goes down between April 24 and 27.
The fact is actually much less surprising than it sounds. Many mistakenly believe that the festival is named after the country music legend, however it was actually established by musician Doc Watson in memory of his son Eddy Merle Watson, who was killed in a farming accident in 1985.
Either way, no festival focusing on country and bluegrass will complain about having Haggard in attendance. Other big names on the lineup will include Ricky Skaggs, Alan Jackson, Old Crow Medicine Show, Holly Williams, and the the Carolina Chocolate Drops.
The unofficial main event at this year's festival has to be Banjorama, a new feature added to the lineup. The going-on will feature some of the world's best banjo players in the world, including Sammy Shelor, Jens Kruger, Scott Vestal "and many more." If the banjo is among your favorite instruments, you'll understand why we're so hyped for it.
"The idea for the event came about while I was pondering ways to keep the spirit of Merle Watson alive at the festival. Not many people know that Merle was also a banjo player, as was Doc," said MerleFest artist relations director Steve Johnson. "So, this seemed a fitting way to keep that part of their music in our program next year."
Doc Watson passed away during 2012.
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