Phil Wiggins was a master of the blues harmonica known for his long musical partnership with guitarist/vocalist John Cephas (1930–2009).
- Died: May 7, 2024 (Who else died on May 7?)
- Details of death: Died in Takoma Park, Maryland at the age of 69.
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Phil Wiggins’ legacy
Born in Washington D.C., Phil Wiggins began making a name for himself in the region’s music scene when stepping in on impromptu jams, incorporating jazz and gospel influences into his blues harmonica. He was just a teenager at the time. He soon began to master the Piedmont blues style, an upbeat take on the genre that blended in influences from ragtime and country.
Wiggins met guitarist and vocalist John Cephas in 1976 at the Smithsonian National Folklife Festival. Though he was 24 years younger than Cephas, the pair found a musical kinship in one another and began a long partnership. As Cephas & Wiggins, the pair played, toured, and recorded together until Cephas’ death in 2009. Often touring via a sponsorship from the United States Department of State, they played across the world, including shows in the Soviet Union, at the Sydney Opera House, at the White House, and other sites.
Cephas & Wiggins recorded over a dozen albums together. Wiggins earned a National Heritage Fellowship in 2017 and won the State of Maryland Heritage Award in 2021.
Wiggins on blues music:
“People automatically think of sadness and depression when they think of blues. But the blues, of course, is uplifting music, music to rejuvenate you, to nourish the spirit. When you get down, the blues will pick you up again.”— as quoted by World Music Central
Tributes to Phil Wiggins
Full obituary: The New York Times
