Bill Clifton
| Bill Clifton | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | William August Marburg |
| Born | April 5, 1931 Riderwood, Maryland, U.S. |
| Genres | Bluegrass, folk |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, guitarist, singer, songwriter |
| Years active | 1952 – Present |
| Labels | Blue Ridge, Starday, Mercury, County, Elf Records |
Bill Clifton (born William August Marburg on April 5, 1931) is an American bluegrass musician and singer who is credited with having organized one of the first bluegrass festivals in the United States in 1961.[1]
Biography
Bill Clifton was born William Marburg into a wealthy family in Riderwood, Maryland. From an early age, he listened to country music radio stations. While still in college, he formed the Dixie Mountain Boys together with his friends Paul Clayton and Dave Sadler.[2] Because his family was opposed to his musical activities, he took the stage name "Bill Clifton". In 1949, he attended the University of Virginia to pursue his degree in business.[1] In 1952, Clifton made his recording debut with the Dixie Mountain Boys. With the addition of banjo player Johnny Clark, the group signed with Blue Ridge Records in 1953 and began playing traditional bluegrass. They soon appeared on the Wheeling Jamboree radio barn dance show on AM station WWVA. Clifton published a songbook in 1955 called 150 Old Time Folk and Gospel Songs. In the mid-1950s, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and was discharged two years later.[2] He recorded for Starday Records and Mercury Records, paying for the sessions himself.[1] On July 4, 1961, Clifton organized one of the first bluegrass festivals at Oak Leaf Park in Luray, Virginia (an earlier one-day event had taken place at Watermelon Park near Berryville, Virginia on August 14, 1960). The festival featured many of the biggest acts of the day in bluegrass music including Bill Monroe, the Stanley Brothers, Jim & Jesse, Red Allen, Frank Wakefield & The Kentuckians, Mac Wiseman and the Country Gentlemen.[2] In 1963, Clifton's family moved to England and he toured all over Europe playing in local folk clubs.[1] In 1967, he joined the Peace Corps, serving three years in the Philippines. Meanwhile, he recorded with a local New Zealand band, The Hamilton County Bluegrass Band. In later years, he recorded both in Europe and in the United States. In the 1970s, he signed with County Records and formed the First Generation band, consisting of Clifton on guitar, Red Rector on mandolin and Don Stover on banjo. Clifton and his family returned to the United States in 1978 and settled down in Virginia.[2] In 1980, he began recording for his own label Elf Records.[1] In 2008 he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Association's Hall of Fame.[3]
Selected discography
- Mountain Folk Songs – Starday Records (1960)
- Carter Family Memorial Album – Starday Records (1961)
- Bluegrass Sound of – Starday Records (1962)
- Soldier, Sing Me A Song – Starday Records (1963)
- Code of the Mountains – Starday Records (1964)
- Mountain Bluegrass Songs – Nashville Records (1964)
- Wanderin' – Hillbilly Records (1964)
- Bluegrass In the American Tradition – Nashville Records (1965)
- Are You From Dixie – Bear Family Records (1971)
- Getting Folk – Bear Family Records (1972)
- Blue Ridge Mountain Blues – County Records (1973)
- Come By the Hills – County Records (1975)
- Bluegrass Session 1952 – Bear Family Records (1975)
- Going Back To Dixie – Bear Family Records (1975)
- Another Happy Day – Bear Family Records (1976)
- Are You From Dixie – Bear Family Records (1977)
- Clifton & Company – County Records (1977)
- Autoharp Centennial Celebration – Elf Records (1981)
- Beatle Crazy – Bear Family Records (1983)
- Where the Rainbow Finds Its End – Elf Records (1991)
- The Early Years 1957–1958 – Rounder Records (1992)
- River of Memories – Elf Records (1994)
- Around the World To Poor Valley – Bear Family Records (2001)
- Alive – Elf Records (2001)
- Playing Where the Grass Is Greener – Elf Records (2003)
- Mountain Laurel – Elf Records (2004)
Footnotes
References
- Bogdanov, Vladimir, Woodstra, Chris, Erlewine, Thomas (2003), "All Music Guide to Country: The Definitive Guide to Country Music
- Wolff, Kurt, Duane, Orla (2000), Country Music: The Rough Guide
