Appalachian Traditions
Rugby, Virginia
Photo: Tom Pich
Wayne Henderson was born in Grayson County, Virginia, where he still lives today. He is a full-time luthier and musician who specializes in building guitars and playing a unique finger-picking style. Using a thumbpick and fingerpicks, his playing sounds like flatpicking, with fast, accurate, and clean notes.
Henderson’s father and uncle were musicians who played with Estil Ball, an admired finger-style guitar player who influenced Wayne’s playing. Inspired by Ball, Wayne ordered a cheap guitar from the Sears catalog. Disappointed with the instrument he received, he decided to build his own guitar out of a used dresser drawer bottom. When he struggled to find the proper glue for his newly crafted instrument, he sought out the advice of a neighbor, Albert Hash, who built fiddles and other instruments. With Hash’s encouragement and mentorship, Wayne continued working on his instrument building.
He sold his second guitar in exchange for some tools and cash. “Ever since,” he says, “somebody’s wanted one as soon as I get it finished.” For years he worked as a rural mail carrier, spending his off-time performing and building guitars and other instruments that are so coveted he has a long backlog of orders and people sometimes wait decades to buy one. Wayne has built guitars for a roster of famous musicians including Doc Watson, Gillian Welch, Peter Rowan, Vince Gill, and Eric Clapton.
Wayne has trained several apprentices, taught intensive workshops, and given informal discussions about instrument building and repair. He has been a regularly featured instructor at the Augusta Heritage workshops in Elkins, West Virginia.
An accomplished performer, Henderson has won more than 300 ribbons at fiddlers’ convention competitions. He was featured as part of the Masters of the Steel Guitar tours, and has traveled across the globe. Wayne has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Smithsonian Institution, on A Prairie Home Companion, and for the 1992 presidential inauguration. He has hosted the annual Wayne C. Henderson Music Festival and Guitar Competition since 1995. Winning the competition is said to be the only way to skip ahead of the waiting list for a Henderson Guitar.
For this year’s appearance on the CCV Stage, Wayne will be joined by musical friends Randy Greer on mandolin, Josh Scott on bass, and the legendary Herb Key on rhythm guitar. It’s been a while since Wayne has graced our stage, and this is a set not to be missed.