Bill Clifton

About

Born: April 5, 1931 Singer, plays guitar & autoharp. Born to a wealthy family in Riverwood, MD, in suburban Baltimore County, he started his career in old-time music by listening to the music he heard on the radio as a child. Attending graduate school in business at the University of Virginia, he formed a trio called the Dixie Mountain Boys with folksingers Paul Clayton and Dave Sadler, adopting the stage name Bill Clifton so he did not embarrass his family. If you have ever attended a bluegrass festival, you can thank Bill Clifton for that: It was on the 4th of July, 1961, that Clifton staged his first outdoor “Bluegrass Day.” Carlton Haney was in attendance, and in 1965 organized a larger event. Clifton moved to England in 1963, formed bands there, eventually joined the Peace Corps, started recording for County Records in 1972, with much success, and finally moved to Virgina in 1980. He has since been a world traveler and promoter of America’s rural music. from: Sing Out! 6 June 2008 Country Music: The Rough Guide, By Kurt Wolff