Post Your Tributes to Homer Ledford....

[dulcimerdawg]

Whether it is a picture of him, a picture of a dulcimer that he built for you, a story about him, a story of a time you had with him, a discussion with him, or whatever ...... I thought it would be interesting to hear about (or see) your memories of Mr. Ledford. I'll start with the following picture (from www.ket.org/pressroom/2004/25/KHOML_.html in which KET announced the 2004 release of a documentary about Mr. Ledford. If you contact KET, you may be able to purchase a copy of that documentary from them):

[dulcimom]

Thanks for your kind tribute to Homer, Dawg. I will post something here in a couple days, after the funeral. Right now my emotions are running to high. My hurt is a selfish hurt, because I will really miss him, even though I know he is once again doing the things he loves.

[missy]

today's Cincinnati Enquirer:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ ... 060/NEWS01

[dulcimerdawg]

Copied from his daughter's website:

http://www.cindylowy.com/INDEX.htm

IN MEMORY--To all who may know my father, Homer C. Ledford: Homer passed away on December 11, 2006 after a long illness. He was my greatest hero and inspiration, a great man.

"Dad, you will be missed. You are always in my heart. I love you so very much. Thanks for being the best Dad in the world, and for sharing your amazing talent, support, enthusiasm, and love. I promise to celebrate your life. I miss you Dad.

All my love forever and a Day,

Your daughter,

Cindy"

[dulcimerdawg]

Dulcimom posted this on her other thread, but I'll repeat it here in case you did not see it:

http://governor.ky.gov/newsroom/pressre ... edford.htm

Governor Ernie Fletcher’s Communications Office
Statement From Governor Ernie Fletcher on the Passing of Homer Ledford

Press Release Date: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Contact Information: Jodi Whitaker
502-564-2611

“Homer Ledford was a Kentucky icon whose music touched not only Kentuckians, but music lovers across America and around the world. His talent was displayed not only in the music he loved to play, but also in the instruments he artfully crafted. His talent and craftsmanship were unique and unmatched. Glenna and I share in the sadness our Commonwealth feels today over the loss of one of Kentucky’s finest.”

[Lois Hornbostel]

Thanks for that wonderful photo of Homer Ledford and his instruments.

I became a fan of his when I was first learning to play the mountain dulcimer. I got the LP he and his daughters made. I enjoy that music very much to this day.

In the early '80s I got to meet Homer in person at the Pine Mountain, KY festival. He was a hero of mine and I was a little nervous talking to him, but he immediately put me at ease. He played mandolin while I played my dulcimer and it was a thrill. What a fine musician, kind person and how funny he was! A couple of years later I got to attend a party at his house with Sally and Joe George from Louisville. The Ledfords' longtime friend Edna Ritchie was there, and they made such sweet music. What a grand time.

Later in the late '80s Homer was on the staff of Appalachian State University Dulcimer Playing Workshop, Boone, NC, that I directed. I am so glad we had our "Legendary Dulcimer Builders Forums" there. Homer was our special guest and it was a treat for everyone to spend a week with him and Colista.

Homer often attended the Southern Highland Craft Guild summer show in Asheville, NC, and a couple of times I was able to meet up with him there and do a little jamming.

I am very grateful to have met and been influenced by the talents and goodness of Homer Ledford.

Lois Hornbostel

[Pinetop Slim]

I groaned when I learned of Mr. Ledford's death while listening to a Web broadcast of a radio program last night, but almost immediately felt the sense that his immortality is assured ... At the time, I was putting new strings on Ledford #4,888, an instrument he built to order for Sister Therese Bisson in 1984 that came into my possession serendipitously a couple of weeks ago. There are around 6,000 Ledford-built dulcimers in circulation. His association with the instrument dates to sometime in the 1940s at the Campbell Folk Arts School, where Edna Ritchie taught him how to play the instrument and where he learned to build dulcimers by taking apart one that had been built by either Uncle Ed Thomas or Jethro Amburgy and that in all probability was brought to the school by John Jacob Niles. He had, I think as much to do with the shaping of contemporary dulcimers as any single person -- early models are near twins to those fashioned by Thomas, with their narrow fingerboards and pure diatonic fret placement. Later he becomes the first (insofar as I know) to add unison strings. He readily added the 6+ fret and is responsible for several hybrid innovations. And above all, I understand he was terribly nice, welcoming the curious into his workshop on a regular basis. I am sorry I never made the opportunity to meet Mr. Ledford, but I believe I have seen much of him in the gentle beauty and sweet voice of #4,888.

[KenH]

"When the Legends die,
The Dreams end.
When the Dreams end,
There is no more Beauty."

Don't let the Dreams end. Keep making beautiful dulcimers and playing beautiful music in memory of our friend and mentor.

[dulcimerdawg]

I never met him personally, although I was able to talk with him on the phone several times. The first was in early 2005 when I ordered a dulcimer from him. This was only the second dulcimer I had ever purchased, and I did not know much about them at all. All I knew is that I had read about Mr. Ledford and some of the stories surrounding his life, and I knew I wanted to have a dulcimer built by him. He was very quick with responses to e-mails and a pleasure to talk to on the phone. #6004 arrived a few months after I ordered it, and well worth the wait.

Later, I purchased (second hand) one of the first few he ever built (from the late 1940's). I talked with Mr. Ledford about that old dulcimer, and he recalled those early years as if it were yesterday. That almost 60 year old dulcimer sounds as good as the one he built two years ago. It is amazing to think that he was a young lad somewhere only in the 18 to 21 year old range when he built that old dulcimer, and continued his fine craft almost all the way to the end.

The thing that struck me most in my discussions with him is that he seemed to absolutely love what he did for a living, and he thoroughly enjoyed the people he came into contact with every day as a result of his craft. He was very kind to me (a total stranger), and I'm sure he was the same with everyone he came into contact with. Those are all things we could all seek to do.

[maryzcox]

May I post your photo on my blogs?
Thanks,
Mary Z. Cox

Whether it is a picture of him, a picture of your dulcimer that he built, a story about him, a story of a time you had with him, a discussion with him, or whatever, I thought it would be interesting to hear about (or see) your memories of Mr. Ledford. I'll start with the following picture:

[dulcimerdawg]

Mary,

I borrowed that photo from another website. I'll post the credit for the photo up in my original post. As for your copying it, just use your judgement since it is not mine. Thanks for asking though.

[dulcimerdawg]

From Homer Ledford's hometown newspaper:

http://www.winchestersun.com/public_htm ... ormat=html

Wednesday December 13, 2006

Winchester's treasure: Homer Ledford

By Sun editorial

Every community has its treasures. For some towns, that’s a famous business or landmark; for others, it’s a local celebrity.

For us, it was Homer Ledford, a famous bluegrass musician and craftsman of dulcimers.

Ledford passed away Monday afternoon after a long battle with what doctors think was Lou Gerig’s disease. He was from Tennessee, but he made Clark County his home for many years. He leaves behind a legacy of musical showmanship that spans half a century and included more than 6,000 dulcimers and even the invention of a few instruments, including the dulcitar, a combination of a dulcimer and a guitar, and the fiddlefone. Even in his later years, he was still creating 50 instruments a year in 2005.

“Music is something for the soul,” Ledford said that year. “It will keep you sane in an otherwise insane world.”

His work was so fine, in fact, that one of his dulcimers, along with a five-string bango and his dulcitar, are on a rotating display at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. His name is also one of eight Kentucky stars for excellence in the arts, located on a plaque outside the Kentucky Theater with other artists like Rosemary Clooney and Loretta Lynn.

From now on, Ledford’s name will be synomous with music and Clark County. He will be terribly missed by his family, his friends, and most certainly by this community.

Because his memory will last so much longer than his time here on earth, we want to remember him with these lines of a tune from bluegrass gospel, a genre Ledford loved so much.

To Canaan's land I'm on my way,
Where the soul of man never dies;
My darkest night will turn to day,
Where the soul of man never dies;
Dear Friends, there'll be no sad farewells,
There'll be no tear-dimmed eyes,
Where all is peace and joy and love,
And the soul of man never dies.
A rose is blooming there for me,
Where the soul of man never dies,
And I will spend eternity,
Where the soul of man never dies.