Cliff Bender/ Lead Guitar

At 66, Cliff Bender is the oldest Rivermist member, but is very young at heart. He is an avid tennis player, so he stays in good shape. Cliff was born in the Cleveland, Ohio area, where he started playing guitar after he heard his first Beatles song at age 9, in 1964.
   
He learned and crafted his skills in numerous blues bands in the Cleveland area. He and his wife Alice moved to Fayetteville, NC in 1978, where he continued to excel in the local circuit. One of Cliff’s favorite musical analogies is the KISS formula, meaning Keep It Simple Stupid. 

He likes to “let the music breathe” a little, by playing neatly and not too overpowering of others. Cliff is one of the best improvisation guitarists you’ll ever hear, taking solos and making them his own, at the drop of a hat. He has been in the band since its inception in 2014. Cliff is also an inductee of The Fayetteville Hall Of Fame and is on the Fayetteville Music Icon wall. His family is VERY supportive of him and of the rest of the guys in Rivermist.