Homer Ledford was born and raised in the Tennessee Mountains, a part of the Appalachian chain. At an early age, he began making musical instruments, his first being a "match stick" fiddle. At the age of eighteen he was given a rehabilitation scholarship to attend the John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, North Carolina. There while recuperating from rheumatic fever, he made his first dulcimer.

This Homer Ledford dulcimer was purchased by Thomas Waters in or around 1970. It's registered under his name on the official site for Mr. Ledford's dulcimers as number 1767.

Mr Ledford attended Berea College in 1949 and transferred to Eastern Ky. University where he received a B.S. degree in l954. He taught industrial arts in Jefferson Co. and in Clark Co. for ten years.He resigned in 1963 from teaching high school industrial arts to become a full time instrument maker. He has completed 6014 dulcimers, 476 banjos, 27 mandolins, 26 guitars, 18 ukuleles, 13 dulcitars, 3 dulcijos, 3 dulcibros, 4 violins and one bowed dulcimer. Mr. Ledford’s craft is represented in the Smithsonian Institute by a dulcitar [an instrument of his own invention], and registered in the U.S. patent office, a fretless banjo and an appalachian dulcimer.

Mr Ledford is also a fine Bluegrass musician. He organized the Homer Ledford and the Cabin Creek Band in1976 and they have been performing ever since. In 1989, the band performed in Ecuador and in 1991 they performed in Ireland’s First International Bluegrass Festival in Athy, Ireland. They were invited back in 1992 and 1997. Mr Ledford was honored by his hometown Winchester, Ky. when in 1986 they named the Homer Ledford Bluegrass Festival after him. The Festival ran for three consecutive years, each time bearing his name. Mr Ledford has performed solo concerts in Japan on a ten-day tour, with the Japan-American Society of Kentucky. Mr. Ledford plays 13 different musical instruments.

HOMER LEDFORD’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS

He shared the stage with Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys at the Homer Ledford Bluegrass Festival--Invited by the Japan-America Society of Kentucky to play solo concerts on a ten-day tour of Japan--Opened for Bill Monroe at the Kentucky Theater, Lexington, Ky.--He played for the Kentucky Music Educators Association, Louisville, Ky.--Gave a concert for the 1994 Southern Region 4-H Leadership Forum, Rock Eagle 4-H Center, Eatonton, Georgia. He opened for the Allison Krauss Bluegrass Band at the Kentucky Theater, Lexington, Ky. --He performed for the Lands End catalog people in Milwaukee, WI.--Entertained the last five governors of Kentucky including Governor Paul Patton. This program was broadcast live on KET [Kentucky Education Television]. Mr. Ledford also entertains for schools, colleges, universities, nursing homes, etc.  Homer has also been featured in KET’s “Homer Ledford:  Instrument Maker”  which is described by KET as “a chronicle of the creation of a dulcimer, from conception to finished instrument, interwoven with the life story of Winchester craftsman Homer Ledford, America's premier dulcimer maker.”  Homer was also one of the original inductees for the Kentucky Walk of Fame and received his sidewalk star in such good company as Rosemary Clooney, Loretta Lynn and Patricia Neal.  He was posthumously awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities Degree from Eastern Kentucky University on December 16, 2006. 

 HOMER LEDFORD [OTHER APPEARANCES]

Eastern Kentucky University produced a twenty-one minute documentary movie of Homer Ledford and his work and music.

He was interviewed and did some special music on the show entitled: Personal Conversations With Dennis Wholey--Produced by KET America.

Homer was on Japan’s national TV network [NHK] documentary on Bluegrass Masters in Kentucky as a part of a series about American Cultures.

The McLain Family Band filmed Mr Ledford for a Kentucky Education Television documentary. Appeared on the Milton Metz Omolet show, in Louisville, Ky. Did a special appearance on WSM TV Nashville, Tenn.-- The Bob Braun Show , WLW-TV, Cincinnati, Ohio.

The following is the listing of all of the dulcimers produced by Homer Ledford.  Every Homer Ledford instrument was entirely made by Homer's hands out of top quality, and in some cases, antique, woods and other rare materials.  Some of the numbers in this list do not list original owner information.  These instruments were most likely sold to shops or arts and crafts centers who sold them retail.  There are places in the listing where the instrument records were lost or nonexistent.  If you have one of these instruments, please email the webmaster so that the list can be updated.  If you purchased a vintage Ledford dulcimer and were not the original owner, please email us so we can add you name to your instrument's history.