Phil Leadbetter

Bluegrass reso-guitarist from Knoxville, Tennessee. Born March 31, 1962, died October 14, 2021 at the age of 59. In 1976, at age 14, Leadbetter performed before President Gerald R. Ford at the White House. In 1991, Leadbetter joined J.D. Crowe and the New South. In 2000, he formed Wildfire with several other members of the New South. In 2004, Gibson released “The Phil Leadbetter Signature Gibson Dobro™.” In 2005, Leadbetter won the IBMA award for Dobro Player of the Year. Also in 2005, he released the album "Slide Effects" (Pinecastle), which won the IBMA Award for Instrumental Album of the Year. In 2011, Leadbetter was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma (a form of cancer) which required him to take two years off the road for treatment. In 2014, Leadbetter won his second IBMA Award for Dobro Player of the Year. In 2015, Leadbetter was inducted into the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame. (http://bluegrassbios.com/leadbetter-phil/)