Brad Leftwich

Brad Leftwich’s music is a direct link to the traditions of the southern Appalachian and Ozark regions. He grew up hearing the old-time music of his father, grandfather, and great-uncle, and learned in person from many of the last great traditional musicians from the turn of the 20th century. A noted fiddler, banjo player, and singer, Brad has been performing since 1975, both solo and in bands including Plank Road, Leftwich & Higginbotham, the Humdingers, Tom, Brad and Alice, and the Hogwire Stringband. Recordings of his music appear on the County, Copper Creek, and Rounder labels, and he has published instructional materials with Homespun Tapes and Mel Bay Publications — in fact, he counts the late country music star Buck Owens among the enthusiastic students of his instructional videos. Brad has won the fiddle contest at the Appalachian String Band Music Festival in Clifftop, West Virginia, and his fiddling has been acclaimed by critics in magazines from Billboard to Bluegrass Unlimited. He tours internationally, and has performed at venues from the White House to the Philadelphia Folk Festival.