Tommy Thompson was a banjo player, writer, actor, teacher and thinker. He arrived in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in the early 1960s smitten by folk and traditional Appalachian music. In 1972, he teamed up with Bill Hicks and Jim Watson to form the nontraditional string band the Red Clay Ramblers. Mike Craver, Jack Herrick, Clay Buckner, Bland Simpson and Chris Frank would eventually join them.

Using interviews and writings from Thompson and his loved ones, the author presents to us a life that revolved around music and creativity. Included are appendices on Thompson's banjos, a discography and notes on his collaborative lyric writing.