Bluegrass Pioneer Bill Clifton Dies at 95 After Launching Festivals

Bill Clifton, known by his birth name William August Marburg, died on October 30 in Mendota, Virginia. The Maryland-born musician was a singer, guitarist, and autoharp player who co-founded the Dixie Mountain Boys while attending the University of Virginia. He released influential recordings and published "150 Old Time Folk and Gospel Songs," helping to popularize songs like "Little Whitewashed Chimney." Clifton is credited with organizing one of the first bluegrass festivals in 1961, establishing a tradition that now fills fields worldwide.