Biography.guide
Home › People › Spoken word artist › David Holt
Portrait of David Holt

David Holt

b. 1946

American musician

Spoken word artistFolk musicianUniversity teacher
Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About David Holt

Born 1946. David Holt is an American spoken word artist, folk musician, university teacher, scientist, biochemist and pharmacist.

David Holt (born October 15, 1946, in Gatesville, Texas) is a musician who performs traditional American music and stories. A four-time Grammy Award winner, Holt plays 10 acoustic instruments and has released recordings of traditional mountain music and southern folktales, hosted Riverwalk, a jazz program on public radio, Folkways, a television program on folk music and culture, Great Scenic Railway Journeys, and North Carolina Mountain Treasures on North Carolina public television.

He is the host of David Holt's State of Music, a public-TV series distributed nationwide by PBS. The program is produced and directed by Will and Deni McIntyre and was nominated for a Midsouth Regional Emmy in 2015.

Holt performed with Doc Watson from 1998 to 2012. He performs wearing his trademark fedora, preferring vintage examples from the 1930s and 1940s.

Holt and his wife, Ginny, have a son, Zeb, who worked for NBC in New York City. Their daughter, Sarah Jane, died in 1989 at age 10 following a car crash.

Discography

Year Title Label Awards Notes 1981 It Just Suits Me June Appal w/ Bob Jordan, Mike Hunter, and Buddy Davis 1981 The Hairy Man And Other Tales High Windy Audio 1986 Reel & Rock High Windy Audio NAIRD Folk Record of the Year w/ Doc and Merle Watson 1991 Grandfather's Greatest Hits High Windy Audio Grammy nominee 1994 I Got a Bullfrog: Folksongs for the Fun of It High Windy Audio Grammy nominee 1994 Why the Dog Chases the Cat High Windy Audio Grammy nominee w/ Bill Mooney 1996 Folk Rhythms (DVD) Homespun 2000 Stellaluna High Windy Audio Grammy award 2002 Spiders in the Hairdo High Windy Audio Grammy nominee w/ Bill Mooney 2002 Legacy - Doc Watson and David Holt High Windy Audio Grammy award 2003 Live and Kickin' at the National Storytelling Festival High Windy Audio Grammy nominee w/ Zeb Holt 2003 Blue Ridge Parkway (DVD) UNC-TV 2004 Great Scenic Railway Journeys - The West (DVD) Wide Eye Productions Emmy award 2004 Clawhammer Banjo 1 (DVD) Homespun 2004 Clawhammer Banjo 2 (DVD) Homespun 2005 Let It Slide High Windy Audio 2006 Hairyman Meets Tailybone High Windy Audio 2006 Mostly Ghostly Stories High Windy Audio 2006 David Holt & The Lightning Bolts High Windy Audio 2009 Cutting Loose High Windy Audio Grammy nominee w/ Josh Goforth 2012 Great Scenic Railway Journeys - Trains Around North America (DVD) Wide Eye Productions Emmy award 2013 Clawhammer Banjo - The Basics and Beyond (DVD) Homespun 2014 Ready For The Times High Windy Audio as Sutton, Holt and Coleman 2015 David Holt's State of Music High Windy Audio 2016 Good Medicine High Windy Audio w/ Josh Goforth

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Spoken word artist, folk musician, university teacher, scientist, biochemist, pharmacist
Nationality
Education
Palisades Charter High School
Awards
North Carolina Award; North Carolina Award for Fine Arts; Grammy Awards
Also known as
David L. Holt, David Lowery Holt

People in David Holt's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped David Holt's

Frequently asked questions

Who is David Holt?

American musician

When was David Holt born?

David Holt was born on 15 October 1946 in Gatesville.

What is David Holt's occupation?

David Holt is a spoken word artist, folk musician, university teacher, scientist, biochemist and pharmacist.

What nationality is David Holt?

David Holt is American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: David Holt

· Wikidata: Q5235117

· DBpedia: David Holt (musician)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). David Holt. https://biography.guide/david-holt-spoken-word-artist/

MLA: "David Holt." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/david-holt-spoken-word-artist/.

Chicago: "David Holt." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/david-holt-spoken-word-artist/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:26 UTC