In 1959, barber Archie Edwards opened his own shop, the Alpha Tonsorial Palace in Northeast Washington, DC.
On Saturday afternoons he'd quit cutting hair, instead opening his barbershop to local musicians who'd gather and jam, usually in the Piedmont style Archie grew up with in rural Virginia.
No matter their age, race or skill level, Archie welcomed everyone; even beginners were encouraged to join in.
The jams eventually became legendary throughout the region - and via his barbershop, his recordings, and world tours, Archie Edwards, blues-man, teacher and storyteller, carried on the Piedmont blues tradition until his death at age seventy-nine.
The Foundation
When Archie passed away in 1998, friends and fellow musicians - many of them regular blues jam players - joined together to form the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation, a 501(c)3 charitable organization chartered in the District of Columbia.
The AEBHF mission is to preserve the memory of Archie Edwards and carrying on his mission of keeping alive the acoustic blues tradition through education, community, and performance.
Our goal was - and still is - to increase public awareness of and appreciation for particularly the Piedmont style,
and to help pass along those traditions to future generations.
Quote from Mississippi John Hurt: "Brother Arch, keep our music alive."
Though no longer in its original location, our Hyattsville “Archie’s Barbershop” is not only the Foundation’s home but a memorial and tribute to Archie and his blues musician peers.
It serves as an educational center, a place for social interaction and for community outreach.
No one who drops by remains a stranger for long. Everyone who is interested in listening to, learning about, or playing the blues is welcome.
For more than 25 years, the Foundation has continued the tradition of the Saturday afternoon blues jams that Archie began. For many musicians - and those who show up to just listen - these jams are a highlight of their week.
We also host concerts featuring nationally and internationally known acoustic blues artists which draw audiences of music lovers from all around the Washington DC region. Many of these artist have also conducted workshops to enhance participants’ skills on instruments such as guitar, harmonica, hand percussion, and ukulele.
Behind the scenes, a volunteer board of directors plans and manages the organization’s activities and functions, drawing on others from the Barbershop community for help. When specialized skills are needed to keep things going, members of our Barbershop community step up, freely contributing their time and talents to make the organization a success.
We do this all to honor the mission of one fine man:
a barber named Archie Edwards.
See more about helping us further Archie's goal HERE.
Awards
Keeping the Blues Alive
In 2005, the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation received the prestigious Keeping the Blues Alive Award for Education from the Blues Foundation in Memphis, Tennesee.
The following is the Blues Foundation’s statement announcing the award to AEBHF for its ongoing educational efforts:
"What began in 1959 as a meeting place for local musicians, the teaching Blues history in schools, hospitals, festivals, and libraries. After the death of Piedmont Blues guitarist Archie Edwards, his barbershop became the center of his wish –- to keep the stories and guitar licks alive. A foundation was created; the barbershop was given a facelift; and his longtime friends, Michel Baytop, Richard “Bones” Thomas, Napoleon Brundage, NJ Warner, Eleanor Ellis, and Miles Spicer took up Edwards’ mandate."
Senate Resolution S. 376
On November 20, 2002, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution recognizing the community services of the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation and the importance of the blues in American culture. The resolution also designated November 29, 2002, as Blues Friday and the start of Heritage Appreciation Fortnight.
The resolution describes Archie Edwards as: "a self-taught musician whose music was acclaimed throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe,who, for 40 years, provided a haven in the District of Columbia for all those who loved the blues to play, listen,and socialize."
Maryland General Assembly Citation
In 2018,on the organization’s 20th anniversary, the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation was recognized by the Maryland General Assembly for “20 years of preservation of local national and international blues music.”
The Foundation was recognized for its dedication to:
"preserving Mr. Edwards’ memory and extending the positive influence of his music in the Washington, DC community,” and its commitment to “carrying on Mr. Edward's legacy by maintaining an open forum for people in the community to meet, learn, and share the music he loved;” its support and expansion of “community outreach programs that provide entertainment and promote the blues to citizens in nursing homes, schools, hospitals, and other venues;” and its recognition of the “importance" that the blues has played in our country’s heritage."
African American Heritage Trail
The original Archie’s Barbershop on Bunker Hill Road in Northeast Washington is featured on the African American Heritage Trail of Cultural Tourism DC. Sites are chosen based on their ability to tell multiple stories of African American history and culture. The plaque at the site reads:
"Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation/Alpha Tonsorial Palace Site, African American Heritage Trail. Bluesman, teacher, barber, and storyteller Archie Edwards (1918-1998) opened the Alpha Tonsorial Palace barbershop here in 1959. Over the years it became a Saturday afternoon gathering place for aspiring musicians, young and old, African American and white."
Articles
"Preserving The Piedmont Blues" Alex McCarthy. Blue Ridge Outdoors. The Blue Ridge Music Issue, May 2021
https://www.blueridgeoutdoors.com/magazine/may-2021/preserving-the-piedmont-blues/
“Archie Edwards Blues Foundation relocates, keeps the piedmont blues alive” Hyattsville Life & Times, Allan Walters, February 22, 2019
“This is Not Our Last Jam: Blues Musicians Search for a New Home After Losing Their Lease” Lefrak, Mikaela Lefrak, WAMU Radio, January 29, 2019
“City’s Best Blues Jam” Matt Cohen, Washington City Paper, 2017
“Archie Edwards may be gone, but Archie’s Blues Barbershop lives on“ Whitney Shefte. The Washington Post, August 8, 2010
“Singing Bye, Bye, Blues.” Marc Fisher, The Washington Post 2009
“Final Bow for a Musical Mecca” Richard Harrington, The Washington Post, January 31, 2008
“Jam Sessions at Northeast Barbershop Find a New Tune” James White, WTOP Radio, February 3, 2008
“Saving Archie’s Barbershop” Larry Benicewicz, Baltimore Blues Rag, January, 2007
“Archie’s Barbershop” Marc Fisher, The Washington Post, July 30, 2006
In Memoriam
One of the most treasured aspects of Archie’s Barbershop is the opportunity to share the stories and music of those who came before us. Sadly, many of Archie’s contemporaries have now passed on, but they remain in our hearts.
We honor them at the Saturday jams by taking time for someone who was privileged to know Archie or his friends to tell a story – or a tall tale – that brings to life earlier times at the Barbershop and in African-American history. As we create our own stories and make our own music, we pass the tradition on to the new generations we meet at the Barbershop and in the community.
Archie Edwards (1918-1998)
Archie Edwards was a bluesman, teacher, barber, and storyteller. He was born in 1918 in Union Hall, Franklin County, Virginia. His father was a respected multi-instrumentalist whose friends would stop by the house to play with him, fostering his son’s early interest in music. A more detailed biography on the Archie Edwards page tells a rich story about the life and times of this remarkable musician, educator, and friend. The Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation, founded in his honor, is dedicated to preserving his memory and carrying on his mission of keeping the acoustic blues tradition alive.
Richard "Mr. Bones" Thomas (1922-2002)
Richard “Mr. Bones” Thomas was a fixture in the Washington music scene for at least seven decades. Born in Pomonky, Maryland, on July 30, 1922, he was raised in Washington, DC, from the age of six months.
He developed an interest in the bones at the age of six, after seeing a vaudeville performance by Sammy Davis Jr. He crafted his first set of bones from a cigar box. He then began fashioning them from wood and finally settled upon using 6- to 7-inch beef rib bones to make them – a process that takes approximately nine months.
During World War II, he was drafted into the Army and was a member of the famous Red Ball Express. During the war, he earned four Battle Stars. After the war, he worked a series of jobs in both the private and public sector until his retirement.
Mr. Bones met Archie Edwards in 1989 at the recording of Blues and Bones. After making the recording, they performed at the Chicago Blues Festival. In 1997, the duo performed at the St. Louis Blues Festival.
His amazing talent on the bones and his winning personality made Mr. Bones a crowd favorite when he performed at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the Bull Durham Blues Festival, Blues in the Burg (where he was a featured performer), the DC Blues Festival, and other local festivals. He also performed community service benefit shows at hospitals, schools, and civic events.
Theorin B. O'Neil (1923-2002)
Theorin B. O'Neil was from Pittsylvania County, Virginia, which bordered on Franklin County, Archie's home. However, they did not meet and become friends until they both moved to the Washington, DC area.
Although Mr. O'Neil's guitar playing style was different from Archie's, their common roots were still evident.
Mr. O'Neil was a tall, reserved, and sober man. He was also shy and very dignified. He was a regular at the Barbershop for many years until his failing health prevented him from attending the Saturday sessions. A truck driver for a moving firm until his retirement, Mr. O’Neil enjoyed gardening. He and his wife raised six children.
Joe Watson (1920 – 2002)
Joe Watson was born in Goochland, Virginia, and moved to Washington, DC in 1941. He worked at the Harrington Hotel for 40 years before retiring.
Joe and Archie were very good friends, as evidenced by their constant banter and insults aimed at each other. He played the guitar and sang. He is most famous for his song “Can Do Bad By Myself,” a Barbershop favorite.
Joe performed with the Barbershop at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the Herndon Blues Festival, and other local festivals. Joe had a gentle but fun-loving personality with a deep love and appreciation for the blues. He was a Barbershop regular until his health prevented him from participating.
N.J. Warren (1933-2009)
N.J. Warren was a friend and mentor to the many musicians who came to know and love him at Archie’s Barbershop. N.J. was an old friend of Archie Edwards and was a regular at the weekly Barbershop jams for decades.
A transplant from Pine Bluff, Arkansas, N.J. impressed acoustic blues fans with his slow-down, low-down, Delta-style guitar work and his talent for inventing soulful lyrics on the spot. His guitar playing and singing evoked the late Lightnin’ Slim and Silas Hogan.
N.J. was truly a blues ambassador, passing along his deep understanding of the music and supporting and encouraging younger musicians.
Napoleon Brundage (1925 – 2012)
A quiet man with a sly smile, Nap once said: "When jazz was born, I was in the delivery room"
An avid harmonica player, Nap was the last of the original generation of friends who gathered on Saturdays to jam with legendary blues artist Archie Edwards at his barbershop in Washington, DC. He taught himself to play the harmonica, developing a unique style that was appreciated by fellow musicians and anyone who had the privilege of hearing him play.
Over the years, Nap played with ensembles from Archie's Barbershop at events including the Bull Durham Festival, Blues in the Burg, DC Blues Society Festival, and Herndon Blues Festival. His failing health meant that his visits to the Barbershop were infrequent, but he still sat in on occasional performances, including at the Washington Center for Aging Services where he lived in his later years.
Napoleon Brundage was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 14, 1925. He spent his early childhood years in Devereaux, Georgia, and came to Washington, DC, when he was 12 years old. As a teenager, he moved to New York City where he was acquainted with many musicians in the night club scene. A WWII veteran, he served on a destroyer during the war. After returning to Washington in the 1960s, his many pursuits included owning a record store where he could share his love of music. He lived in Washington until his passing on August 18, 2012.
Dennis Herndon 1953 - 2017
Dennis Herndon was a founder of the Archie Edwards Bllues Heritage Foundation and a member of the Foundation's board of directors. A native of Detroit, Michigan, he had a long career in radio and audio engineering, culminating as the manager of staffing and logistics engineering at National Public Radio. After he retired from NPR, he returned to his Detroit hometown and resigned from the Archie’s board, but continued working with the organization on digital issues until illness He passed away in 2018.
Dennis was a beloved member of both the Archie’s community and the NPR staff. Thoughtful, witty, and warm, he was always a voice of calm wisdom in challenging situations. A technical wizard and an early adopter of digital media, he helped the Foundation develop its website and take advantage of digital resources. He played a major role in designing NPR's new headquarters with state-of-the-art studios in Washington, DC.
Although Dennis was typically found on the sidelines of a jam, he was a fine acoustic guitarist.
Finding Archie's Barbershop
The Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation is located at:
4502 Hamilton Street
Hyattsville, MD 20781
There is limited parking behind the building and some street parking in the neighborhood. There are three public parking lots located within a block of the Barbershop.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
With few exceptions the Saturday jams take place from 1 to 5pm. Jams may be canceled due to bad weather or emergency. Should a major holiday fall on a Saturday there will likely be no jam. On very rare occasions, the jam may be held at a community event instead of the Barbershop.
Before setting out, please check the AEBHF Facebook page to check for any announcements that might affect the jam.