Bluegrass legend Doc Watson on stage at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville Tennessee.
I am a native Tennessean, so it makes sense that I have photographed my fair share of music venues. From the Gibson Guitar factory to Memphis in May, I have seen a lot of musicians in my day but photographing bluegrass music legend Doc Watson stands out.
Watson was a folk music legend, and I was asked to photograph him during a sound check at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The Ryman is sometimes called the first church of country music. The Grand Old Opry was originally recorded there. The place looms large in the collective Tennessee consciousness. Meeting Doc, onstage there for the first time, was more than a little intimidating.
I can't even recall who hired me to shoot the portrait, but I do remember how gracious Doc was. He immediately agreed to let me photograph him playing during the sound check and then, sensing my nervousness, told me a story about his grandfather to put me at ease. I shot the frame above as that story concluded.
The image is shot on film (Ilford HP5 on a Bronica 6x6). There was no time to set up lights. Besides, a production would have destroyed the intimacy of the moment.
The sound check was amazing. The Ryman's acoustics are fabulous and sitting on stage with a bluegrass superstar playing just for me was an experience I will never forget.
-Stephen Alvarez
August, 2024