Willie Watson

Willie Watson, a founding member of Old Crow Medicine Show, has built a distinguished career as a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose work spans traditional folk, bluegrass, and original compositions. After being invited to perform at MerleFest by Doc Watson in the early 2000s, Willie Watson, a founding member of Old Crow Medicine Show, became a pivotal figure in the revival of traditional American folk and bluegrass. Co-founding the group in the late 1990s, Watson was instrumental in early successes including the 1998 cassette ‘Trans:mission’ and their cross-Canada busking tour. Following their relocation to Nashville, he contributed to albums like ‘O.C.M.S.’ (2004), ‘Big Iron World’ (2006), ‘Tennessee Pusher’ (2008), and ‘Carry Me Back’ (2012).

Watson’s career expanded into film, making his acting debut as ‘The Kid’ in the Coen brothers’ 2018 film The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, where he performed the Academy Award-nominated song ‘When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings.’ His film contributions also included performing ‘Lazy Old Moon’ for the Coen film Hail, Caesar! (2016) and a track for Live by Night (2016). He maintained an active touring schedule, completing an Australian tour with Josh Hedley in 2016 and touring with Aoife O’Donovan that same year. Further collaborations include a guest vocalist appearance on Water Tower’s ‘Fly Around’ in 2020 and performing with Old Crow Medicine Show on ‘Miles Away’ from their 2023 album Jubilee.

In 2024, Willie Watson released his self-titled album, Willie Watson, on September 13th, marking his first collection of original compositions. The album’s release was supported by a North American tour alongside Sami Braman and Ben Gould. Watson performed at Ringo Starr’s 84th birthday celebration on July 7, 2024. Looking ahead, he has been announced as support for Alison Krauss & Union Station’s 2025 North American tour, commencing April 25, 2025.