An all-around pioneer. We speak your name Lily May Ledford. Born March 17, 1917. Died on July 14, 1985.
Lily May Ledford was a celebrated American clawhammer banjo and fiddle player from Powell County, Kentucky. Growing up in a musical family, she mastered the banjo and fiddle at a young age and began performing at local dances by the age of 12.
In the late 1930s, Ledford rose to regional fame as the leader of the Coon Creek Girls, one of the first all-female string bands to appear on radio. The group debuted on October 9, 1937, and had the honor of performing at the White House in 1939 for President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his guests, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Although the Coon Creek Girls disbanded in 1957, Ledford continued to perform during the folk music revival of the 1960s.
Fresh music, bold entertainment, and men’s fashion—one tight email a week.
In recognition of her contributions to American folk music, Ledford was awarded a National Heritage Fellowship in 1985. Her dynamic clawhammer banjo style and skilled fiddling have inspired generations of musicians.
This woman was the true definition of multi-instrumentalist! Once unsung. Now uncensored.
Brava, brava!
