#56 Rick Franklin, acoustic blues musician

Rick Franklin started playing the trumpet when he was young, then harmonica, and finally found guitar. He played in rock bands, but met Archie Edwards and John Jackson and fell in love with their style of playing, Piedmont blues. He used to regularly visit Archie's Barbershop, which he said was a "safe space where a group of black men could hang out and not feel threatened." He still loves the Barbershop community today, but gets a lot of satisfaction playing farmers' markets, seeing people enjoy music. "Seeing the joy on their faces puts a big smile on my face too!" He says music makes a difference in peoples' lives; "If you feel it, don't hide it."