Posted on 07/05/2026 12:36:27 PM PDT by Red Badger
Screencap of Twitter/X video. Winston Marshall is the former banjo player for the folk rock band Mumford & Sons.
In 2021, Marshall faced down a cancel culture campaign for simply reading a book about Antifa by the journalist Andy Ngo. Since then, he has become more politically active and an advocate for free speech.
In a recent video, Marshall wished the United States a happy 250th birthday and provided a fun history lesson about the banjo, which he describes as a uniquely American instrument.
He begins with a hilarious quote from iconic American writer Mark Twain:
“A gentleman is a man who can play the banjo, but doesn’t.”
He continues:
“They say in these divided times that music might unite us. As a professional banjo player, I might note, that’s not been my experience.”
“The twangy five string evokes equal measures of either love or hate. Never unanimity, never indifference.”
He then tells a story about playing a show in Australia where the band’s equipment was stolen. Later in the day, his banjo was discovered in the hedges, not far from the venue, sitting in its case which had been opened. The thief discarded the banjo rather than even trying to sell it.
He talks about the common misconceptions of the banjo, first that it was invented in Appalachia, and second that it was invented in Africa.
“It wasn’t until the mid-nineteenth century that they were fretted, that steel wire was used instead of gut strings, and that the awkward high-G resonator string completed the package.”
He talks about how the electric guitar temporarily replaced the banjo in popularity until the birth of Bluegrass music in Kentucky.
Throughout the video, Marshall emphasizes the thoroughly American history of the instrument and it’s quite a story.
Watch the whole thing below:
VIDEO AT LINK..................
It really is a joyous sound.
VIDEO AT LINK..................
Thank you for the birthday wishes to America and the history lesson, Mr. Marshall.
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Great article; thanks for posting! I’ve never particularly paid attention to Mumford and Sons; now, I may have to check out some of their music.
“He talks about the common misconceptions of the banjo, first that it was invented in Appalachia, and second that it was invented in Africa.”
“It wasn’t until the mid-nineteenth century that they were fretted, that steel wire was used instead of gut strings, and that the awkward high-G resonator string completed the package.” He knows banjos.
Here’s a direct link to Marshall’s X post:
https://x.com/MrWinMarshall/status/2073470057502388432
Thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks for making me look for it. Such a charming and smart young man.
Sweet!
Bump for later. This hispanic city boy had an uncle from Kentucky (who served on a bomber crew in WWII) who loved bluegrass. He and my hispanic uncle used to sit out on the porch on warm San Diego evenings, drink whiskey and tequila, and sing and play Western songs together. Sometimes my grandfather would bring out his twelve string and join in. One of my most cherished memories.
I had an opportunity at a book fair of all things to ask a question of the expert demonstrating a sitar. He was not an Indian.
I took the chance of looking stupid. “To me, the sounds from some Appalachian and Southern folk music has a counterpoint and drone string and harmonic relation on a banjo, a zither or a mandolin that reminds me of the sitar. How can that be? I know the folk music came from British settlers who moved into the South but what in British music has that sound?”
He said when the Arabs and Indians trekked back and forth they influenced the local string instrument musicians along the way. Those British musicians carried some of the Arab and Indian influences to the US.
Mr. Mark Twain once defined a gentleman as someone who knows how to play the banjo but doesnt.
I have seen this guy do political podcasts/videos on Youtube, never realizing he was with Mumford and Sons.
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