Following a hospitalization for abdominal surgery in North Carolina, Grammy-winning folk singer Doc Watson passed away yesterday, the Associated Press confirms. He was 89.
The singer/songwriter actually lost his eyesight as a child, but that didn't stop him from going on to record such hits as "Tom Dooley" and "Shady Grove."
Watson toured for decades, beginning in the 1960s and faced tragedy in 1985 when he son Eddy was killed in a tractor accident. He is now survived by daughter Nancy.
The popular artist won seven Grammys, as well as a lifetime achievement award in 2004. In 1997, he was given the National Medal of Arts from President Bill Clinton.