Spencer Strickland, grew up in a family steeped in music from Lambsburg, VA. His mother sang, and father played guitar in a family gospel band that performed at churches and community events.
Since his first mandolin lesson, Strickland has gone on to win prestigious awardssuch as 1st place mandolin in 2004 and 2008 at the world's largest Old Fiddlers'
Convention held in Galax, VA. 1st place in the 2005 Merle Watson Mandolin Championship held at MerleFest, tthe "Best All Around Performer" award at the
2004 Galax Old Fiddlers' Convention, and 1st place guitar in 2019 at the Galax Old Fiddlers Convention.
In the fall of 2004, Spencer began an apprenticeship through the Virginia Folklife Program with guitar and mandolin builder, Gerald Anderson, who was taught the
craft of "lutherie" under the famous instrument maker Wayne Henderson.
Spencer now works for himself under the name of "Strickland String Instruments", and has built over 88 guitars, 27 mandolins, and assisted Gerald Anderson in the making of over 100 instruments. Strickland is also a lead instructor at the Wayne C Henderson School of Appalachian Arts in Marion, VA where he helps teach three guitar building classes per year, and has assisted students in the making of over 78 guitars in the Gerald Anderson Lutherie Studio.
He has toured with the likes of The Kenny & Amanda Smith Band, The Church Sisters, The Gibson Brothers, and many more.
Strickland was featured on the 2015 album "Orthophonic Joy: The 1927 Bristol Sessions Revisited", along with featured artists: Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill, Sheryl Crow, Brad Paisley, Steve Martin, Marty Stuart, and
many others.
To date, Spencer has opened his case to perform as far from his SW Virginia home as Scotland, Northern Ireland, England, Wales, Canada, France and many other venues in nearly every state across the USA, including the Historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN.