Lily May Ledford was the original “banjo-pickin’ girl” and the leader of the Coon Creek Girls, the first all-woman stringband on radio. Pioneers among women performers, they played their own instruments and expanded the repertoire of what was considered acceptable material for women. Happy birthday, Lily. 📷 Appalshop, "Lily May Ledford," Anne Lewis, 1988 | Appalshop

Remembering Lily May Ledford (March 17, 1917 – July 14, 1985) She was an American clawhammer banjo and fiddle player. After gaining regional radio fame in the 1940s and 1950s as head of the Coon Creek Girls, one of the first all-female string bands to appear on radio, Ledford went on to gain national renown as a solo artist during the American folk music revival of the 1960s. In 1985, she was awarded a National Heritage Fellowship. #lilymayledford #banjo | Dime Store Radio