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 (as he described in his song “I Was Determined”). After learning to play the alternating thumb and fingerpicking guitar style that defines Piedmont blues, John began emulating the records he heard by Blind Boy Fuller Blind Blake, Gary Davis and other early Piedmont artists.
Aside from playing blues, John worked early on as a professional gospel singer, carpenter and Atlantic fisherman. By the 1960s he was starting to make a living from his music. John joined pianist Wilber “Big Chief” Ellis’ band and worked with him until Ellis’ death in 1977.
Among his many endeavors, John served on the Executive Committee of the National Council for the Traditional Arts and testified before congressional committees. He was also a founder of the Washington D.C. Blues Society. “More than anything else,” said John “I would like to see a revival of country blues by more young people. More people going to concerts learning to play the music. That’s why I stay in the field of traditional music. I don’t want it to die.”
He was a member of the renowned Cephas and Wiggins duo. John Cephas died March 4 of 2009 of natural causes. He was 78.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
