Folk musician David P. Wilcox is a celebrated musician with a baritone voice and impressive guitar virtuosity.

He has been featured in Performing Songwriter magazine on five occasions. He has been compared to James Taylor and Kenny Rankin. Wilcox has been covered by such artists as K.D. Lang. With 18 albums, his songs range in theme from automobiles to environmental neglect.

Wilcox plays at 6 and 9 p.m. Aug. 1, Liederplatz, Musikfest, Stage, Bethlehem.

Wilcox was born in Northeast Ohio. After his family moved to North Carolina, he attended Warren Wilson College, a small liberal arts school, from 1981 - '85.

"[It was] a hippie school. It cut through the usual social cliques," says Wilcox in a recent phone interview from his home in Asheville, N.C.

He started playing guitar at the age of 18. "It made my heart feel so good. I never expected it to be a career.

"I use [guitar playing] as a spiritual guidance. It's like listening to what my heart wants to say before it's too late."

When asked about his mentors, Wilcox says, "My real inspiration came from meeting people who were playing music below the level of commercialization."

His 1987 debut album, "The Nightshift Watchman," was well-received. Wilcox was a winner of the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk award in 1988, and by 1989, he had signed with A&M Records, releasing "How Did You Find Me Here."

"Turning Point" (1997, Koch Records) was recorded in a log cabin behind Wilcox's home.

In 2002, Wilcox signed with the label, What Are Records? His latest release, "Blaze" (2014), encompasses the blissfully focused state of mind that Wilcox experienced when he bicycled across North Carolina as a teenager.

"The writing [for Blaze] was inspired by the musicians I recorded it with," says Wilcox.

His intent was to go beyond introspective songs and to voice some strong opinions, such as the first single, "Oil Talking To Ya," a protest anthem and rallying cry against environmental exploitation.

Wilcox has a son, who he describes as "a beautiful human," and resides with his wife, Nance Pettit, an actress, singer, therapist and adventure leader who kayaks in distant lands. They collaborated on the album "Out Beyond Ideas" (2005).

During live performances, Wilcox likes to engage the audience in a personal way and keep the mood spontaneous. "At least once a night, I like to make up a song right on the spot for an audience member, specific, just for them."

His website, The David Wilcox Musical Magazine, is an ongoing project where Wilcox releases five or six songs a season, four times a year.

"It's a great solution to the problem of too many songs," says Wilcox. "I write so many, I get backlogged."

Wilcox travels solo, performing about 10 gigs a month.

This spring, Wilcox hosted the Wilcox Weekend in Kanuga, in Henderson, N.C., a music event held at a serene wooded conference center on a lake. Weekends included hiking, canoeing, yoga and Qi Gong.

In August, the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, Rhinebeck, N.Y., presents "Family Week," where Wilcox will hold a songwriting workshop.