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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