4/27/12 Ben Cockman wins Merlefest Doc Watson Guitar Championship!

VIDEO: Ben Cockman at Merlefest: Interview with Pete Wernick and picking with Banjo Contest Winner Brandon Green.

MerleFest 25 Announces Winners of Instrument ContestsMerleFest 25, presented by Lowe’s, held the Doc Watson Guitar Championship and the Merle Watson Bluegrass Banjo Contest on Friday, April 27.

Sherrills Ford Picker Takes MerleFest Guitar Contest

Ben Cockman, 1st place winner of the 2012 Doc Watson Guitar Championship.
PHOTO by Jim Thompson, MerleFest Photographer

Ben Cockman, a guitar picker from the Catawba County, N.C., town of Sherrills Ford, won the 2012 Doc Watson Guitar Championship contest Friday evening. Cockman ended up on top of a field of 10 competitors from across the region.

His flatpicked renditions of the Irish classic “Danny Boy” and the Gershwin tune “Lady be Good” brought cheers from the crowd at the Austin Stage in Alumni Hall on the Wilkesboro campus of Wilkes Community College. They also obviously impressed the judges, Jack Lawrence, Roy Book Binder, and last year’s contest winner, Eric Hardin.

As first place winner, Cockman received the opportunity to perform on the Cabin Stage on Saturday and took home a Boucher guitar valued valued at $4,000 from Musiquip, a $300 gift certificate to Jackson’s Music, a gift certificate from John Pearse Strings redeemable for one dozen strings, capos from G7th The Capo Company ($193 value), and the opportunity to participate in next year’s contest as a judge.