Bluegrass hall of famer Bill Clifton dies peacefully at 95

Bill Clifton, a bluegrass musician and collector whose life's work was dedicated to the preservation of the traditional music of America, died peacefully in his sleep on October 30, 2026, when he was 95 years old. William August Marburg was born on April 5, 1931, in Riderwood, Maryland. He grew up on a farm near Baltimore and became interested in country music through the radio and old 78-rpm records. During his career, he recorded almost 30 albums, starting with "Mountain Folk Songs" on Starday Records in 1960 and finishing with "Mountain Laurel" in 2004. While studying at the University of Virginia, Bill founded The Dixie Mountain Boys; the band featured Mike Seeger sometimes. When he graduated from the university in 1954, Bill served in the Marine Corps; during that time, he compiled "Bill Clifton 150 Old-Time Folk and Gospel Songs," which is a valuable book for many bluegrass musicians. In 1961, Bill Clifton organised one of the first bluegrass festivals in the US at Oak Leaf Park in Luray, Virginia. In 1963, he relocated his family to England, spreading American bluegrass all across Europe, and did the same later in the Philippines as part of the Peace Corps. He was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Association's Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2008. "Bill Clifton has made his mark through passion, dedication, and devotion to the preservation of our unique musical heritage," the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum said in a statement. "Bill's legacy is a lifetime of service to the music of his homeland in hopes that it continues to live on for generations to come." Dennis Cash, a musician, posted on Facebook, 'The music world lost a pioneer today. I lost a hero." He is survived by his sister, 10 children, 18 grandchildren, and 8 great-grandchildren.