The most atypical of bluegrass artists, Bill Clifton has enjoyed a long career as a recording artist, performer and champion of old-time music. Bill C. Malone now pens the story of Clifton's eclectic life and influential career. Born into a prominent Maryland family, Clifton connected with old-time music as a boy. He made records around earning a Master's degree, 15 years in the British folk scene, and stints in the Peace Corps and Marines. Yet that was just the beginning. Clifton altered our very perceptions of the music --- organizing one of the first outdoor bluegrass festivals, publishing a book of folk and gospel standards that became a cornerstone of the folk revival, and introducing both traditional and progressive bluegrass around the world.