John Cephas, Piedmont Blues Musician: Regional Background
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John Cephas grew up in the gently rolling Piedmont region near the Appalachian Mountains, which stretches from Maryland to Georgia. This hilly territory is called the Piedmont because in French pied is the word for "foot" and mont is the word for mountain or hill, so "Piedmont" literally means at the foot, or beginning, of the hills.

The Piedmont is distinct in its geography, history, and culture. Its relatively diverse economy, primarily supported by agriculture but including textile mills, foundries, and small manufacturing, allowed more contact between African and Euro Americans than was possible in, say, plantation areas of the Deep South. As towns and cities in this region developed, the increasingly urban areas attracted both African Americans and Euro Americans in search of jobs.

Coal mines and mills were not only places of work, they were also sites for cultural exchange. The Piedmont's diverse repertoire of artistic traditions includes music and dance forms that are a blend of African American, Euro American, urban, and rural expressive styles.

As in the case of John Cephas, many residents still retain their ties to rural areas. The Piedmont blues style reflects cultural conversation between Blacks and Whites, rural and urban aesthetics, and a diverse range of musical influences from ragtime to stringbands.