Willard Watson at Tommy Jarrell's, 1981

In 1981, Margaret Martin and Wayne Martin, from the North Carolina Arts Council, brought a video crew to the home of Tommy Jarrell in Toast, NC. They also brought Willard Watson, legendary flatfoot dancer, banjo picker, wood carver, story teller, and state-sponsored moonshiner from Watauga County, NC. The dancer who joins Willard at 3:08 is Julie Lyons, Tommy's younger sister. Tunes are "Old Jimmy Sutton" and "Reuben."

[@shanereynolds5380]

Thanks Heath .... only stumbling upon this now .... fantastic.

[@terryfinley7760]

This is a wonderful recording.
So glad it is preserved for future generations!

[@susandrydenhenderson6234]

How hasn’t this got a million likes!

[@joannehack7588]

Cause folks don’t like righteous old time music

[@user-gj9qs6us5v]

Thank you very much from Hiro. In addition to Willard's dance, this is an unexpected and valuable video from Tommy's living room and long-haired Heath. I look back many times.

[@susandrydenhenderson6234]

What smooth stepping. What a lovely gait!

[@michaelharrison2948]

Good as it gits!!!

[@Trippykittykat]

Thank you so much for this video this is my great great grandpa, my mom still has all the toys he made it’s so unreal that I get to see him like this ! Thank you!!

[@heathcurdts3800]

My pleasure! Willard was one of a kind, and it was a thrill to visit with and to play for him. I still have the limberjack he gave me. I did my best to pay him for it, but he wouldn’t hear of it.

[@susandrydenhenderson6234]

What a talent!

[@Backup6Box]

Great to see such good quality video. Thanks very much for putting this up for us all to enjoy.

[@susandrydenhenderson6234]

Great playing!

[@bustercrabbe9767]

WOW!

[@Vingul]

Thanks very much Mr. Curdts. I was here looking for some footage of Jarrell talking about moonshining in the old days, and the trouble they had with the government back then. I can't find it in any of the Les Blank footage, do you know where to find it? It's been a few years but I'm almost certain I'm not misremembering.

[@nozecone]

I've heard that too, somewhere - so it is out there ... !

[@Vingul]

​@@nozecone I found it again some time after posting the above comment, it's in Alan Lomax's "Appalachian Journey" documentary!

[@gmsmithucdavisedu]

Great video and sound. Are there more from that era?

[@heathcurdts3800]

Hi Gary. There's some more footage from this same shoot, but it's just Tommy and me playing the same tunes without Willard dancing.

[@gmsmithucdavisedu]

@@heathcurdts3800 Too bad there aren't more tunes. Thanks.

[@paulanastasio1103]

@@heathcurdts3800 Just?

[@kylieh916]

@@heathcurdts3800 The fiddlers would love to hear the non dancing ones!! It's all incredibly valuable! Easier to make out how to learn the tune by ear. Thank you so much!

[@glennwarners2396]

Was that Paul Brown on the banjo???

[@heathcurdts3800]

No, that’s me. But I was playing Paul’s banjo.