Clifton Hicks - Shortening Bread (Lewis "Big Sweet" Hairston)

This YouTube video features Clifton Hicks performing the traditional song "Raleigh and Spencer." Hicks explains the song's origins in Watauga County, North Carolina, drawing inspiration from musicians like Josh Hayes and Matt Kinman, and a fiddle recording by Tommy Jarrell. He clarifies historical misconceptions about the song's title referencing the Civil War. Hicks details his instrument, an 1888 Thompson & Odell "The Luscomb" banjo, and its tuning. The video also includes lyrics and promotional links for Hicks' online courses, merchandise, and music platforms.

This video features Clifton Hicks performing "Triflin' Woman," a song learned from Josh Hayes, who in turn learned it from a 1962 recording by Frank Proffitt. Hicks plays a handmade 5-string gourd banjo tuned to approximately eBEG♯B. The description also includes links to his Bandcamp, merchandise store, Patreon, and other platforms. The lyrics express frustration with a partner who spends money lavishly while the singer works hard and wears rags, and who prefers to be seen on the "log road" rather than engage in domestic tasks. The song conveys a strong sense of weariness and dissatisfaction with the relationship.

This video features Clifton Hicks playing "Sammie, Where Have You Been So Long," a song learned from a 1927 Dock Boggs recording. Hicks highlights Boggs' transition from a juke joint style to his characteristic three-finger picking. The performance utilizes an 1888 Luscomb banjo tuned in 'Hook and Line' tuning. The description also provides extensive links to Hicks' Patreon, Bandcamp, merchandise, and social media, alongside a comprehensive list of related musical artists and genres, emphasizing banjo heritage and old-time music.

This video features Clifton Hicks performing the traditional banjo tune "Going Up North" (also known as "No Letter From Home"). He details learning the song from John Jackson's recording, tracing its lineage back to Jackson's father and referencing alternate titles. Hicks explains his playing style as up-picking, learned from George R. Gibson, and mentions his 1888 Luscomb banjo tuned to gDGBD. The lyrics, which speak of a man fleeing the law and longing for news from home, are provided. The description also includes links to his Patreon, Bandcamp, Spotify, iTunes, Venmo, PayPal, and SubscribeStar, along with relevant hashtags indicating the video's focus on banjo music history and Americana.

This video presents a traditional banjo lesson focused on the tune 'Trouble On My Mind', attributed to Rufus Crisp. The content appears to be instructional, aimed at musicians interested in learning this specific piece on the banjo. Links are provided for supporting the creator via Patreon, purchasing music on Bandcamp, listening on Spotify, and making donations via PayPal. The video's focus is entirely on banjo music and learning, with no mention of firearms.

This video critically examines the current state of 'old-time' music, arguing that it has become a homogenized, commercialized, and festival-focused art form, significantly detached from its traditional American roots and cultural origins. The creator, Clifton Hicks, promotes his Banjo Heritage platform for online courses, forums, merchandise, and music streaming, alongside various donation options.

This video is a banjo performance of a song titled 'Ballad of Kyle Rittenhouse' by Clifton Hicks. The description provides links to the artist's Patreon, merch store, PayPal, Venmo, Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp, SubscribeStar, and YouTube channel memberships. It also includes a list of hashtags related to various music genres and the subject matter of the song. The song's title and hashtags directly reference Kyle Rittenhouse and related themes.

This video features Clifton Hicks performing 'Cold Blows the Wind' on a 5-string banjo using the clawhammer technique. The performance is set against a stark, black-and-white woodland backdrop, with the artist adopting a historical frontier persona. The song's narrative unfolds through somber vocals, detailing a lover's mourning at a grave and a spectral warning from the deceased.

This video features Clifton Hicks performing 'Ballad of Bloody Bill Anderson' on a banjo, detailing the historical figure's violent exploits. The performance highlights advanced clawhammer banjo techniques and deep knowledge of American folk music and Civil War lore. The song's narrative covers Anderson's arrival, a fierce battle, his death, and the grim aftermath, including the display of his head and pistols marked with his kills.

Clifton Hicks performs the traditional folk song 'Moonshiner' on a 5-string banjo using a clawhammer technique. The song details a life dedicated to moonshining, sustained by whiskey and beer over twenty-one years. The performance features an instrumental introduction before the vocal verses begin.