John Cephas
Born in Washington D.C., John Cephas grew up there and in Caroline County. He was
influenced at an early age by his mother's singing, and a cousin taught him the highly
syncopated and danceable guitar style now known as Piedmont Blues, which employs a
complex, finger-picking approach. Cephas performed at rural dance parties and as a
gospel singer, developing his rich voice. He, and harmonica master Phil Wiggins, made
numerous awarding-winning albums and performed all over the world, earning the W. C.
Handy Award as Blues Entertainers of the Year in 1987. Cephas received the coveted
National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1989.
USGS Historical Topographic Map CollectionUSGS Historical Topographic Map CollectionUSGS Historical Topographic Map CollectionDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesLibrary of Congress
Example
under a mile from where William Gabby lived in the 1760s
what this marker records spans 1777 to 1789, overlapping William Gabby's years here
Upload your family tree and TreeAlive finds the markers near where your own ancestors lived.
See your family's markersStart with a tree file, a FamilySearch sign in, or a WikiTree ID.
Report a problem with this page
At the marker right now? You can send us the spot you're standing on.
We may pass what you report to the state's marker program. Please don't include personal details.
Marker program managed by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.