Archie Baldwin - The Smyth County Jam welcomes Archie Baldwin, who was born in Greendale and now lives in Alvarado, Virginia. Archie says he lived in West Virginia a short while at one time. His father was a coal miner and a moonshiner, and according to Archie, his brother was the 'shotgun' of that operation! Archie says the money was good back then. Archie's talents are pretty extensive: he is an outstanding dancer, plays guitar, sings, plays dulcimer, bass, autoharp and spoons! He says that one of his uncles was an excellent guitarist. Archie has a half-brother and a sister living in the Bristol area. Archie's grandfather was a Southern Primitive Baptist minister. Archie spent a long time in the US Marine Corps, and he says a really long hitch in Vietnam. He is a wood worker and has made some instruments, many writing pens out of different substances--even from a rock! Archie has been in the construction trade , particularly in the building of bridges, as well as doing some very high insulation work at Eastman. In addition to a varied career, Archie says he taught dance at an Arthur Murray studio in Washington, DC. Archie says he likes Boxcar Willie and Hank Williams Senior's music. His favorite song is "Amanda"_ which he sings in memory of a niece who died young. Presently Archie belongs to a band called Bluegrass Fever/ Bluegrass Country, depending what venue they are playing.
