Bill Clifton, the singer who staged one of the first all-day bluegrass events and helped carry the music overseas, died in his sleep on October 30 at his home in western Virginia. He was 95.
Clifton's death closes a career that stretched from the first generation of bluegrass to the modern festival circuit. The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, which inducted him in 2008, credits him with taking the music to people who had never heard it.
An Unlikely Path to Mountain Music
Clifton was born William August Marburg on April 5, 1931, in rural Maryland. Farm workers at his wealthy family's home introduced him to string band music as a teenager.
He took the name Clifton while performing in a University of Virginia folk duo with Paul Clayton. He also befriended A.P. Carter of the Carter Family, who became his most important mentor.
After serving in the Marines, Clifton signed with Mercury in 1956 and later recorded for Starday. His 1955 songbook, 150 Old Time Folk and Gospel Songs, became an influential resource for bluegrass musicians.
The 1961 Show That Pointed the Way
On July 4, 1961, Clifton staged an all-day event at Oak Leaf Park in Luray, Virginia. The lineup included Bill Monroe, The Stanley Brothers, The Country Gentlemen, and Mac Wiseman.
The show came four years before Carlton Haney's 1965 event in Fincastle, Virginia, the first three-day bluegrass festival. Haney's weekend largely followed Clifton's lead.
From England to the World
Clifton moved to England in 1963 for what was meant to be a stay of six to nine months. It lasted 15 years.
He toured across Europe and performed in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Africa. He also helped arrange European tours for Bill Monroe and the New Lost City Ramblers.
A sold-out show for 7,000 people at London's Royal Albert Hall marked the first time bluegrass was presented at a major European venue, according to the Hall of Fame.
Return to Carter Family Country
Clifton came back to the US in 1978 and settled in Mendota, Virginia, near the Carter Family homeplace. He recorded for County Records, founded Elf Records, and played with Red Rector and Don Stover as First Generation.
He released more than two dozen albums and wrote songs including "My Nights Are So Lonely" and "Lonely Heart Blues." IBMA gave him a Distinguished Achievement Award in 1992.
Survivors and Memorials
Clifton had 10 children with his two wives, Sarah-Lee and Tineke. He also leaves 18 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. A private family funeral will be held, in keeping with his wishes.
The family asks that memorial donations be considered for the Carter Family Memorial Music Center.