John Cephas

Within a week, two extremely talented individuals have passed on. First, Minnesota writer Bill Holm, and now, Virginia Bluesman John Cephas.

Phil Wiggins and John Cephas

John and I had the pleasure of hearing Cephas and Wiggins in concert several times. Cephas' home was right up the road in Bowling Green, Virginia. He played Piedmont-style, finger pickin' blues guitar, and was a wonderful singer. A 1989 National Heritage Fellowship Award winner, Cephas played for 30 years with Phil Wiggins (who plays harmonica and sings). They were an incredible duo, and played throughout the world as ambassadors of the Blues. When Cephas and Wiggins performed, they always talked with their audiences, educating them about the Blues in a lively, personable manner.

All of their recordings are excellent. You can watch two performances of Cephas and Wiggins from the Kennedy Center Millenium Stage in 2003 and 2004 here.

On a more mundane note, the weather in Virginia is 70 degrees warmer than a week ago. Want proof? Here we are dining al fresco with fresh-cut flowers from the garden, exactly one week after a major snow storm. Oh, ya gotta love Virginia...and you have to love it even more when you think of artists like John Cephas.

Same location,one week apart!