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:
The TRUTH About The Banjo | America’s 250th Special pic.twitter.com/NSzzg5gqsU
— Winston Marshall (@MrWinMarshall) July 4, 2026
It really is a joyous sound.
Thank you for the birthday wishes to America and the history lesson, Mr. Marshall.
Mike LaChance has been covering higher education and politics for Legal Insurrection since 2012. Since 2008 he has contributed work to the Gateway Pundit, Daily Caller, Breitbart, the Center for Security Policy, the Washington Free Beacon, and Ricochet. He has also written for American Lookout, Townhall, and Twitchy.
You can email Mike LaChance here, and read more of Mike LaChance’s articles here.
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