Renowned Virginia-based guitar maker Wayne Henderson is being recognized after completing his 1,000th guitar. During his 60-year career, Henderson has made countless contributions to music makers across the country and around the world.
He's built guitars by hand for a Who’s Who list of pickers, including Doc Watson, Ricky Skaggs and Eric Clapton. The waiting list for a new one can extend for years.
Last month, approximately 600 people from across the country came to Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, to celebrate the 1,000 milestone. Many brought their Henderson guitars, and some paid tribute to their friend and mentor with two hours of live performances in the auditorium.
Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation Chief Operations Officer Richard Emmett was there. He calls Henderson a humble man — he was a mail carrier for 30 years — and an incredible ambassador for the region’s Appalachian cultural and musical traditions. In 1995, Henderson was given the National Heritage Award by President Bill Clinton. Emmett says he’s also someone who pays it forward.
"He has contributed so many thousands of dollars — I think over $500,000 — to scholarships for Junior Appalachian Musicians, so people can learn to play the music," says Emmett. "And he's also made sure that young people are able to get his guitars and play his guitars. So he is making sure that traditions are passed on to the next generation."
Henderson, 79, says he has no plans to slow down his guitar-making. In fact, as of this reporting, his current instrument count is 1,002. He says one thing that drives him is seeing his work come to fruition.
"Last Friday night I went down to the Rex Theater in Galax to see the Gibson Brothers," he says. "Those guys, both of them, were playing my guitars and making them sound good, and that's just a — I guess that’s hard to describe but I can’t imagine nothing to being more thrilling to somebody like me you know."
Music enthusiasts can visit Henderson and see him busy at work alongside his daughter Jayne, who’s also a luthier. The Henderson Guitar Shop is part of The Crooked Road, Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail.