As well as performing traditional music, he tells stories about the origins of that music and tales about the people in the mountains of Western North Carolina whose lives were impacted by those songs. He often holds up photos of the people he talks about and demonstrates unusual instruments.
The Texas native played for years with guitar legend Doc Watson and recorded the ultimate tribute to Doc in the Grammy-Winning “Legacy” album. Now with Doc gone, David still helps to keep his memory alive with his stories and performances.
Besides playing traditional music, David writes and records original tunes. He is a master slide guitarist along with his skills on several instruments. I once saw him on stage at MerleFest crowded with people playing all kinds of string instruments, so David switched it up and kept time by beating on a drum.
No matter how many times I see him and his band, The Lightning Bolts, I always learn something new, and I always enjoy hearing the great tunes.
Chatting before a recent show in Asheville, NC, I told him how much I appreciated his past and present efforts to promote traditional mountain music. I hope many others can appreciate that as well for years to come.
Here’s a link to his website: http://www.davidholt.com