Steve Martin Joins Lineup For 2018 Merlefest

Comedian and musician Steve Martin will be performing in Wilkesboro in April with the Steep Canyon Rangers, joining the lineup of performers for this year's Merlefest music festival.

Martin is best known as a stand-up comedian and movie star, but he's also played the banjo for decades. He often performs with the Grammy-winning bluegrass group The Steep Canyon Rangers, who recently joined the Winston-Salem Symphony in a concert here.

Martin was not part of that performance, but he has played locally. He previously played with the Steep Canyon Rangers during Merlefest's 2010 run.

The three-day festival on the campus of Wilkes Community College begins April 26. This year's lineup also includes performances by Bela Fleck, Kris Kristofferson and Rhiannon Giddens.

Folk guitarist Doc Watson founded the festival 30 years ago, and named it for his son Merle, who died in a tractor accident in 1985.