Michael Lipton

Michael Lipton (shown above on right, with Larry Groce on the left) has a song in his heart. 

An accomplished guitarist, for a quarter-century, the rolling-stone-turned-Mountaineer has performed all over the world with his bandmates in The Carpenter Ants. For 15 years, Lipton was the creative force behind Graffiti – an alternative news publication which focused on West Virginia’s arts and music scene. In 2004, Lipton founded the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame as a way of recognizing the significant impact West Virginians have had on the music of humanity, and preserving that rich legacy for generations to come. 

Hall of Fame members include the late Bill Withers, Molly O’Day, Billy Cox, Kathy Mattea, John Ellison, Larry Groce, and many others. With the induction of the class of 2023 on June 3, the Hall of Fame now includes the likes of Buddy Griffin, Winston Walls, and Barbara Nissman. 

For his lifetime of dedication to celebrating and preserving the music of the Mountain State, RealWV is proud to name Michael Lipton as the certified Real West Virginian of the Week.

If you’d like to nominate someone as The Real West Virginian of the Week, email us at news@therealwv.com.