John Cephas on Playing Skip James

John Cephas was born in Washington D.C. in 1930 into a deeply religious family and raised in Bowling Green Virginia. His first taste of music was gospel, but blues soon became his calling. After learning to play the fingerstyle of alternating thumb picking which defines the Piedmont blues John began emulation the records he heard by Blind Boy Fuller, Blind Blake, Gary Davis and other early Piedmont artist.

Aside from playing the blues, he worked early on as a professional gospel singer, a carpenter, and Atlantic fisherman. By the 1960?s he was starting to make a living from his music.

Among some of Johns many endeavors, John served On the Executive committee of the National Council for the Traditional Arts, and has testified before congressional committees. John Cephas is also the founder of the Washington, D.C. Blues Society.

Johns deepest wish in this world John says is, ” I would like to see a revival of the country blues by more young people, more people going to concerts, and learning.
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Devil Got my Woman - John Cephas

Cephas & Wiggins was an American acoustic blues duo composed of guitarist John Cephas (September 4, 1930 – March 4, 2009) and harmonica player Phil Wiggins (born May 8, 1954). They were known for traditional blues style known as the Piedmont blues.

Both musicians were born in Washington D.C., although Cephas was older by some 25 years. They first met at a jam session at the Smithsonian's Festival of American Folklife in 1975 or 1976, and played together in Wilbert "Big Chief" Ellis's band. When Ellis died, they decided to continue as a duo.



In 1980, Cephas & Wiggins were recorded by German archivists Siegfried Christmann and Axel Kustner. These recordings were their first as a duo and they were released the following year on as a part of Living Country Blues USA series on German label L+R.



In 1986, Cephas & Wiggins released Dog Days of August, their first U.S. release on Flying Fish Records. In 1989, Cephas was awarded the National Heritage Fellowship.



Two more albums followed from Flying Fish. After they left the label, they released one album from New York-based Chesky Records, and four from Alligator Records.



Cephas died of natural causes on March 4, 2009. He was 78. The duo had released Richmond Blues on Folkways Records in 2008.

Richmond Blues - John Cephas and Phil Wiggins

Cephas & Wiggins was an American acoustic blues duo composed of guitarist John Cephas (September 4, 1930 – March 4, 2009) and harmonica player Phil Wiggins (born May 8, 1954).They were known for traditional blues style known as the Piedmont blues.
Both musicians were born in Washington D.C., although Cephas was older by some 25 years. They first met at a jam session at the Smithsonian's Festival of American Folklife in 1975 or 1976, and played together in Wilbert "Big Chief" Ellis's band. When Ellis died, they decided to continue as a duo.

In 1980, Cephas & Wiggins were recorded by German archivists Siegfried Christmann and Axel Kustner. These recordings were their first as a duo and they were released the following year on as a part of Living Country Blues USA series on German label L+R.

In 1986, Cephas & Wiggins released Dog Days of August, their first U.S. release on Flying Fish Records. In 1989, Cephas was awarded the National Heritage Fellowship.

Two more albums followed from Flying Fish. After they left the label, they released one album from New York-based Chesky Records, and four from Alligator Records.

Cephas died of natural causes on March 4, 2009. He was 78. The duo had released Richmond Blues on Folkways Records in 2008.

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