Proclaimed “Greensboro’s Father of Songwriting,” Bruce Piephoff was known for his own take on the Appalachian tradition of story songs and character portraits.
Several musicians who knew him personally — and are excellent performers — are coming together on Saturday at R.A. Fountain General Store to pay tribute, having released an album of Piephoff’s music: “Riding the Stream.” The show will be a live performance with the artists on the bill playing Piephoff songs.
Piephoff, who died in April, was a singer, songwriter, poet and the artist-in-residence at community colleges across North Carolina, including Pitt, and beyond. He recorded 25 albums, published two books, played everywhere from Merlefest to the Kennedy Center and left an indelible mark on those who heard him.
The title song of the tribute album was inspired locally. Describing the song’s origin, Piephoff wrote, “It’s a song I wrote down east in North Carolina in Greenville about migrant workers ‘riding the stream’ up and down the East Coast.”