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God Bless Americana: MerleFest Returns for 2005
The good folks of MerleFest were kind enough to open their gates to ROAM last year, which proved to be a real shot in the arm for our then-fledgling publication's credibility and popularity. So we thought we'd tip our hats to the nationally renowned festival celebrating Americana music as it returns to the Wilkes Community College campus in Wilkesboro for its 17th consecutive year in 2005.
For those who are unfamiliar with MerleFest, its origins are packed with enough dramatic triumph and tragedy to fuel a Hollywood epic. The ascension of Arthel "Doc" Watson over the disease which robbed him of sight in infancy to become a living legend who fused the blues, bluegrass, gospel and folk music into an art form all its own. The rise and tragic fall of Doc's son Eddy "Merle" Watson, a musical prodigy who overcame the ravages of polio only to die in a tragic tractor accident only days before being hailed by Frets magazine as the "best finger-picking guitarist of the year in folk, blues, or country music." The triumph of how a festival honoring Merle's life and legacy rose out of the musical community's grief to become one of the most celebrated ongoing music festivals in the nation.
Founded in 1988, MerleFest is renowned for its eclectic array of Americana music, which encompasses bluegrass, alternative country, folk, singer-songwriter, and other roots-music genres, including both old-time and classic country, Every year it draws many of the biggest stars in these genres. This year nearly 100 acts are scheduled to appear, including country legend Loretta Lynn, Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas (featured on the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack), bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs, bluegrass/country star Ricky Skaggs, Celtic folk musicians The Chieftains, bluegrass/jazz fusion jazz star Bela Fleck, new country traditionalist Rodney Crowell and singer/songwriter John Hiatt.
In 2004, 81,592 participants, artists, volunteers and guests from 47 states, the District of Columbia and at least 12 foreign countries attended MerleFest, pumping an estimated $7.3 million into the local economy in Wilkes County alone. Over 50 civic and institutional organizations participated in the festival, which generates significant funding for a wide range of these organizations' vital community projects each year.
MerleFest supports musical education initiatives in public schools, the work of non-profit community organizations and the mission of Wilkes Community College, the festival's sponsor and host site. The festival also benefits the Eddy Merle Watson Memorial Garden for the Senses, which provides an interpretive, educational, artistic and cultural experience for the visually impaired and sighted alike.
And — oh yeah — did we mention that it's really, really fun?
We hope you enjoy these sights (and wish you could hear the sounds) from MerleFest 2004 — as we look ahead to this year's festival, which will be held Thursday, April 28 through Sunday, May 1, at Wilkes Community College, 1328 S. Collegiate Drive in Wilkesboro, NC. Gates open at 3:00 pm on Thursday and at 8:00 am Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 4-day and single-day passes are available. We hope to see you there!
Order your MerleFest tickets:
• Online at www.merlefest.org
• Call 1-800-343-7857 (US orders only) or
1-336-838-6267 (local & international orders only)
10 am–4 pm, Mondays– Fridays
• Mail or fax:
MerleFest Tickets
P.O. Box 120
Wilkesboro, NC, 28697-120
For more information, contact:
Wilkes Community College
1328 S. Collegiate Drive
Wilkesboro, NC 28697
336-838-6100, fax 336-838-6277
www.merlefest.org
