Sept. 10, 2001
Selected emails
Name: Karen M. Bowen
City: Spring Hill, Florida
My memories of listening to Cawood on the radio are fond in more than one way. Not only was I spending time with my Mother who is not longer with us, but I was developing the deep roots that all die-hard Kentucky fans have for UK sports. Thank-you Cawood for helping to lay that foundation early on and for helping to build fond memories from my childhood that will remain with me as long as I walk this earth!
Name: Curtis D Lipps
City: beckley wv
Mrs. Ledford
I think back to the days of my childhood growing up in Eastern Ky. We never had much except for what we needed. One of my best childhood memories is listening to Cawood talk of Sam Bowie, Dirk Minefield, Roger Harden, Kyle Macy and many many more. He told it like it was without down grading the players. I often imagined at the time what it would be like to have him as a Grandfather and being able to talk to him and listen to his stories. I was a grown man the night I listened to him call his last game and even thought Ky Lost I Cryed like a little boy and my friends thought I Had lost my mind crying over a basketball game but as I tokd them at that time “I’m not crying over the game, I’m crying because we’ve lost Cawood”. Well this time we have lost Cawood and I can only imagine what you all are feeling and I hope knowing that we all loved Cawood helps in your sorrow. This time we have lost Cawood but as a god loving man I know he is in a better place without any suffering.!
With heartfelt regards. Curtis
Name: William A. Morrison
City: Canton, Ohio
I was born and raised in Ashland, graduated as a Tomcat in 1977 and as a Wildcat in December of 1980 with a BS in Accounting. I never listened to anyone but Cawood until he retired. Cawood is the greatest all around announcer I have ever heard and I had the previledge of listening to Al Michaels when he was with the Reds. I moved to Canton, Ohio after graduation from UK and have bragged for 20 years about Cawood and the outstanding support of UK basketball AND football fans. I know about the tradition of Rupp, Hall, Sutton, Tubby, Pitino, the Bear, Collier and hopefully Morriss.
When I saw this oppurtunity to respond for Cawood, I welled up in unexpected tears. I grew up listening to Cawood’s call of the game while I kept score.
God bless Cawood, you were one of the most special joys of my life.
I hope you don’t mind me calling you Cawood above because if I had ever met you I would have called you Mr. Ledford (or Mr. UK).
Name: Jack Watkins, D.
City: Kailua, Hawaii
My heart and prayers to Cawood’s family at this time of their loss. All Kentucky fans have lost a wonderful, gentle and gracious man.
Cawood’s descriptive announcing brought this East Kentucky kid, via an old static laden radio, vivid color and action of the Kentucky basketball games. I will never forget this man or the way he treated everyone.
It is my hope and desire that the University of Kentucky will name the floor at Rupp Arena the Cawood Court in honor of this man that has meant so much to Kentucky Basketball and the University of Kentucky.
God Speed Cawood and Aloha
Name: Mark R. Strasel
City: Plano, TX
Cawood Ledford was a legend in his own lifetime, a true bonafide Kentucky “institution”! Cawood’s god-given talent and spellbinding ability to captivate his audience and have them hanging on his play by play “string music” was unparalleled.
Growing up in Louisville and listening to Cawood and the cats, as well as celebrating my birthday in late December every year with a Wildcat victory over Notre Dame, was sweet! Bless you Cawood for all of the countless memories and hours of enjoyment you provided not only to me but to all KY fans everywhere. I could always count on your call of the game to be professional, fair and “top shelf”, with a style only you possessed.Coaches and players at UK may come and go, but there will be only 1 Cawood!
Godspeed Cawood!
Name: Tommy Green
City: Conyers, Georgia
I send my greatest condolences to your family. When I was finally old enough to realize what college basketball was, the University of Kentucky weas on probation, but that did not stop me from hearing my Wildcats play the game that put Kentucky on the map. The voice that introduced me to my team was Cawood Ledford, and it was the best play by play I have ever heard in my life and still is to this day. I can still remember listening to the radio to hear my wildcats play while I was growing up on a farm in Barren County, Kentucky and hearing Cawood call all the three point shots that Patino’s Bombinos were knocking down. I also remeber hearing pride in his voice as he announced that Kentucky had finally made it back to National attention while winning the first of many SEC Tournament Championships under Rick Pitino. When I entered high school, I like many other high school kids had to write a research paper in my english class, so if was gonna have to write it I was gonna write on a topic I truely love. The best source I could find on my topic was a Cawood Ledford book about the history of the Kentucky Wildcats and it was about the only book I ever read in my high school career from cover to cover. He was a truely great man that had a gift for calling Kentucky’s team better than anyone else, and the voice of the wildcats will be missed more than any of us the fans can ever tell you. I was sad to read about his passing in the papers, but my thoughts and prayers are with your family and thank you for sharing your dear Cawood with us, the fans.
Name: Tony Goodman
City: Houston, TX
To the Ledford Family,
I was truly saddened to read Cawood had lost his “war” with cancer on Wednesday. As long as I can remember that I was a KY basketball fan some 30 something years ago, I recall the many nights I would sit and stare at the radio, watching the CATS move back and forth with such a vivid picture in my mind powered by the voice of Cawood Leford! I know that Heaven has gained a Champion and I hope that the condolences of the KY fans all over the world can ease your sorrow and comfort you in this time of need.
GOD Bless you all and Big Blue forever!
Tony Goodman
Name: Brad Cundiff
City: Woodstock, GA
My earliest memories of Kentucky basketball are listening to Cawood in Tulsa, OK. Before virtually all of UK’s games were available on TV, listening to Cawood was our only way to find out what happened with the Cats before the boxscore came out in the paper the next day. My father would find just the right location in our garage where the signal would come in and it was like Cawood was right beside us. You could close your eyes and be right there. That voice was always there and you knew from Cawood whether the Cats had played well or poorly, he didn’t pull punches.
Cawood was the ultimate gentleman. I met him at road games in 1992 at Mississippi State and then at the SEC Tournament in Birmingham.
My deepest condolences to his family.
We have all lost a great friend and the ultimate representation of everything good about the state of Kentucky.
Godspeed Cawood as you go down the glory road.
Name: Kay Adms
City: Middlesboro, KY
Let me see how do I remember Cawood.
He was with me when I worked in the kitchen fixing dinner.
He was with me when I watched my grandsons play little league football on Saturdays.
He was with us in the deer woods when we stopped the hunt to hear his words.
He was with us late at night when the snow was flying and we were warm in our own beds.
He was with me when he called my sons name when he played hisfirst game as a Wildcat under Jerry Claiborne.
He will always be with us in our hearts and minds.
You see he was a good old boy from Harlan Co and this old Bell Co gal will always remember Cawood. He was the greatest. We miss you Cawood Ledford.
Name: waid green
City: springville, tennessee
i was so sorry about the death of cawood. I have spent many enjoyable hours listening to wildcat basketball, thanks to cawood. It is almost like the passing of a relative,or at a least a very close friend and to think he was someone i never really met, just his voice—-heaven greets you “Cawood”, and call-um as you see-um, even if their only angels playing ball——–
Name: Bev Cubbager
City: San Francisco, CA
My sincere condolences for your loss. Cawood Ledford’s voice echoes through my memories of childhood as a unifying force for many thousands of isolated rural Kentuckians in our mountain hollers and crossroads towns, bellied up to the coal stove in the dead of winter listening to his broadcasts. I think I always knew how good he was. He was the genuine article, irreplacable, truly unique. There won’t be another like him.
Name: Rick Nelson
City: Middlesboro, Kentucky
For the past 27 years I have been forunate to broadcast games on the radio for Bell County High. Cawood was the person that all who broadcast games wanted to be like. But he was more than a “great” announcer. Cawood was a great human being as well. His fame did not interfere with the fact that he had time to talk to everyone. Cawood, you will be missed, but never forgotten!
Name: Brent L. Robinson
City: Granger, Indiana
As a young boy growing up in northern Kentucky, UK basketball was rarely on TV, so I listened to the Caywood and kept score on line paper. Like many UK fans, when I was able to watch UK on TV, I would turn the TV sound down and listen to Caywood and Ralph on the radio broadcast. Those days are now just memories, fond memories, and will stay with me forever. Caywood touched all our lives, and will remain a memory for me until I join him at the Rupp Arena in the heavens. My sympathy goes out to his family and all the UK fans who loved him so much. May he rest in peace.
Name: Doris & John Stephens
City: Oregonia, Oh. 45054
John and I have been UK basket-ball fans for 50 yrs., & there will never be another Cawood Ledford. We miss him very much, and our best wishes to his family. Cawood was the BEST OF ALL TIMES.
We used to watch TV when UK was on, but would not have the sound on, but would turn the radio on and listen to Cawood. We’ll always be KY fans, but its never been the same without Cawood. But he’ll always be the “greatest announcer in history”, and no one can take that away from him.
Name: Steven J. Fitts
City: Louisville, KY
Childhood memories are the fondest of all, and Cawood brought me so many happy memories in childhood. I grew up in Lexington but we visited my grandparents in north Mississippi every Christmas. I remember the thrill I got when I dialed the radio and finally picked up Cawood’s voice on WHAS radio. Although I was 500 miles away from home, the moment I heard his voice, I was home! I will always be grateful to this man who brought me so much pleasure and happiness in childhood!
Name: Keith Golden
City: Webberville, MI
To The Ledford Family,
Cawood Ledford will always hold a special place in my heart!Living most of my life in KY, I grew up watching UK basketballon the TV but listening to Cawood doing the play by play. Noone did it like he did. I lost my grandmother earlier this yearso, I know the pain that comes with losing someone so near anddear to your heart! But I also know the joy of remembering thejoy remembering brings to take the sorrow away! They alwaysremain in your heart and mind! My heart goes out to the Ledfordfamily! May God bless you and keep you in His love!
Sincerely,
Keith Golden
Name: Donald, Dean III, F
City: Midway
To the Dear Family of Mr. Cawood Ledford,
I don’t know much about Mr. Ledford other than what I’ve read since his passing on. Of course I know his voice quite well. Perhaps you don’t realise how much a part of your life people are until, as they say, they are gone. He’s just always been there as part of mine. Turn down the TV and turn on Cawood. That’s how it was. In particular I have the fondest memories of his voice on the radio as I would come back into town from other locations and just ment that I was home.
In hindsight, it seems that Cawood shaped the world. And who is anyone without their friends and family? I wish those that mourn personally and intimately for the loss of his personal presence in their life strength and comfort.
