Department of Parks
Carter Caves Presents "Lily May Ledford"

FRANKFORT, Ky. –  Lily May Ledford was a legend of country music. Born in Powell County in 1917, Ms. Ledford founded the first all-female string bands, the Coon Creek Girls, and starred on national radio for two decades.

    The Coon Creek Girls disbanded in 1957 and Ms. Ledford died in 1985, but her spirit and her music lives on. Sandy Harmon portrays Lily May Ledford as part of a Kentucky Chautauqua series presentation at Carter Caves State Resort Park at 7 p.m. May 10 in the park lodge. There is no admission charge.

   Mrs. Harmon has herself been active in music, making several recordings and hosting her own live show at the Windy Hollow Music Jamboree.

    Kentucky Chautauqua is presented by the Kentucky Humanities Council with statewide support from the Honorable Order of the Kentucky Colonels and regional funding from Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America, People’s Bank and Trust Co. of Hazard, National City banks in Lexington and London, and the Brown-Forman Corporation.

    For more information on the Carter Caves appearance, call the park at (606) 286-4411.

The Kentucky State Park System is composed of 52 state parks plus an interstate park shared with Virginia. The Department of Parks, an agency of the Commerce Cabinet, operates 17 resort parks with lodges -- more than any other state. Each year, Kentucky parks draw 7 million visitors and contribute $317 million to the economy. For more information on Kentucky parks, visit our Web site at http://www.parks.ky.gov