Wilmer Watts (1897-1943) was
from a flatland area near Belmont, North Carolina,
where no other documented musicians were found. Though
his music was well-documented,
Watts himself was not. It is known that he worked in a textile mill most
of his life yet
was able to pursue his music, recording first as Watts and Wilson
in 1927 (6 songs) and then as Wilmer Watts and the Lonely Eagles in 1929
(14 songs).
Many of his songs depicted the social conditions of the Belmont working
class.
His stylish banjo-playing, the intertwined guitars, the expressive
vocals
and strange harmonies make Wilmer Watts recordings some of the most
interesting
and unique of all the rural music being recorded at that time.
LOGGS favorite WILMER WATTS songs: Cotton Mill Blues, Knocking Down Casey Jones,
Been On The Job Too Long,
Sleepy Desert, Walk Right In Belmont
