Name

Clifton Hicks

Description

Clifton Hicks is a banjo player, songwriter, and anthropologist known for his work in American traditional music. He was raised in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas before settling in Tennessee. His musical performances and teaching often emphasize the early American origins of the banjo.

Clifton is an accomplished folk artist, having built dozens of banjos based on historical examples. All of his builds are handmade, using only locally sourced hardwood, bone, and other materials.

Hicks enlisted in the US Army in 2002 at the age of seventeen, serving as a tank driver and machine gunner in Iraq. After two combat deployments, he applied for and was granted full conscientious objector status. He was honorably discharged in December, 2005.

In 2013, Hicks graduated from Appalachian State University with a bachelor's degree in anthropology. His academic studies were concentrated in the archaeology and history of the southeastern United States, which remains his chief area of interest.

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