Stephen Doc Watson

Music:

Member Since: 31/01/2006
Band Website: http://www.myspace.com/69jazzer
Band Members: Working in several bands makes for quite the challenge to list all the current band members. I guess the most "famous" bandmembers I've ever hired are the fantastic singer/songwriter/guitarist, Mark Nesler and the great country singer, Mark Chesnut.
A special shoutout has to go to my guitarist/friend/brother, Mark Heylmun in Temecula, Ca. (Do I detect a "Mark" trend here??), and to my friend and brother, Jim Unger who recently passed away in Nashville. Jim was one of the greatest fiddle players that ever picked up a bow along with the late, great Emmitt Brinkley, but he's most famous for being the daddy of Brad and Shelly!.
I gotta give props to my bro, Jamie Talbert, too. Other great musicians I've had the priviledge to work with are Clay Blaker, the original surfing cowboy, Bill Gallagher, Jimmy Day, Johnny Bush, J.J. Cale, Lobo Loggins, and, my musical father, Clarence Gatemouth Brown.
I'm forever indebted to all of them.
Influences: Good grief...my influences come from every kind of music I've ever been exposed to from my childhood gospel roots through rock and blues and unadulterated Texas beer joint stomp.
I count as life's blessings that I became friends withFreddie King, Gatemouth Brown, and Albert King. MANY bassists have awed and influenced me from Duck Dunn, Tommy "Slut" Shannon to Berry Oakley, James Jamerson to Oteil Burbridge to the enigmagnetic TRIP WAMSLEY, the list, not unlike the road, goes on and on.
I have to give credit to my mom who turned me on to music when I was just a child and encouraged me until she died in 1969, and I have to give credit to my friend of 30+ years, Clay Blaker for showing me how far soul and determination can take a musician and for introducing me to the incredible music of Jim Lauderdale.
Most of all I have to thank God for the gift of music which, to me, is the sound of the Soul.
Sounds Like: Let's talk GEAR here: I have two main, gigging basses, the 1969 Fender Jazz, stock and original except for the refin which I did 30+ years ago when I was young and stoned. But then I did a LOT of stupid things when I was young and stoned.
The OTHER gig bass is a 1978 Fender Jazz with Michael Dolan pickups and a recent refin job by Brian Bertrand. Both basses are strung with the fantastic Thomastik Infeld flats! Best strings I've ever used.
. Rig wise I use a Tech21 RBI powered by a QSC PLX1804 power amp, a T.C. Electronics chorus/flange pedal and two Avatar cabs: compact 115H and a 210H. Light, compact, good quality, good tone, and very inexpensive for what 'cha get.

Record Label: Honkabilly Records