Bill Clifton

• Given Name: William Marburg
• Date of Birth:  April 5, 1931
• Place of Birth:  Riverwood, Maryland

Bill Clifton developed a fascination with the bluegrass and traditional music he heard on the radio as a boy. During the 1950s, he recorded frequently with his group the Dixie Mountain Boys. Though Clifton is a very talented singer/songwriter, his notoriety lies in his efforts to bring bluegrass to both our nation's urban culture and the world. Clifton traveled to Maces Springs, Virginia when he was seventeen years old to locate A.P. Carter, whom he befriended. Clifton served as a pall bearer at A.P.'s funeral in 1960. He organized the first ever bluegrass festival, which took place at Oak Leaf Park in Luray, Virginia in 1961. Staged as an all-day, multiple artists' event, the festival became a model for the weekend festivals that followed. Today, thousands of these events are held each year. In 1963, Clifton and his family moved to England, where he performed extensively in local clubs. Soon after he was hired by the Peace Corps and spent time entertaining in the Philippines and in New Zealand. Clifton now resides in Mendota, Virginia and still performs occasionally.