Back in the early 1970s, Blueberry Hill was just an idea, conceived by Joe Edwards, who, fresh out of college, aspired to make his mark in his hometown of St. Louis.
“Like a lot of young people, I didn’t know what to do in life,” Edwards said. “I went to John Burroughs and recently graduated from Duke University … and I also had this record collection of 30,000 45-rpm records.”
In addition to the 45s, which Edwards had alphabetically catalogued, he had 12,000 78-rpm records, as well as several collections of pop-culture memorabilia, comic books, baseball cards, lunch boxes and toys – all items he started collecting as a young boy. At 16, he began collecting classic Wurlitzer jukeboxes.
“I decided I would open a place where I could program a killer jukebox, unbox the pop-culture collection and display them,” he said.
That’s when inspiration hit and on Sept. 8, 1972, Edwards opened Blueberry Hill on Delmar Boulevard, a part of town that had seen better days. Using $10,500 of money he borrowed from friends, Edwards launched his storefront on Delmar Boulevard. The initial space, only about 2,000 square feet, served hot dogs, peanuts and beer.
“It was tricky the first couple of years,” Edwards admitted. “The place wasn’t going to make it if the neighborhood wasn’t going to make it, so I decided to set a tone and began organizing with the neighbors.”
His strategy included banning customers for “being rude” and fostering dialogue among citizens, City Hall and police in an effort to turn the neighborhood around.
“Little by little, it happened. But it wasn’t until the fifth year that I realized Blueberry Hill was going to make it,” Edwards said.
The rest, as they say, is history. Blueberry Hill today holds court on the Delmar Loop, a stretch of Delmar Boulevard recognized by the Washington, D.C.-based American Planning Association in 2007 as one of the 10 Great Streets of America, thanks, in large part, to Edwards’ steadfast dedication to improving and enhancing the area.
His original concept of Blueberry Hill half a century ago has grown to become so much more: The destination has earned a reputation for serving consistently good food, including its award-winning burgers and homemade soups, as well as for its legendary concerts and popular window displays.
Fifty years strong, Blueberry Hill is celebrating in a big way. Beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 8, its 50th Birthday Bash will welcome guests on the “blue” carpet. Live music in the Duck Room, karaoke, a Champagne toast and birthday cake, a special anniversary photo booth and a Blueberry Hill trivia contest are in store for partygoers.
“We’ll also have a 1972 Opening Night video screening and open a time capsule from 10 years ago and also start a new time capsule,” Edwards noted. “So, wear glamorous attire and watch VIP guests walk the blue carpet – we’ll be putting on the ritz!”
Edwards, who owns and operates Blueberry Hill along with his wife, Linda, has overseen the expansion of the space over the decades. Since its opening, Blueberry Hill has grown to include 10 rooms, including a new bar room, a dining room, piano room, St. Louis Room, the Elvis Room and the world-famous Duck Room.
Opened in 1997, the Duck Room played host to more than 200 live, intimate concerts by Chuck Berry, the “Father of Rock ‘n’ Roll” and the first person inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
“It’s just amazing – that’s what helped draw people internationally – people came to see him play in the Duck Room,” said Edwards of his iconic friend, Berry, who died in 2017.
Berry is among a long lineup of music’s biggest stars who have performed at Blueberry Hill over the years. John Legend, Ed Sheeran, Alanis Morissette, Grandmaster Flash and St. Louis’ own Nelly have graced the stage and added to the venue’s lore and legend.
“It’s so great that this restaurant and music club – one that local residents think of as their neighborhood pub and also the first place a lot of people bring their out-out-town friends to – is a place where people can come and put their troubles behind for a couple of hours,” said Edwards, his voice beaming with pride. “They can enjoy the food, relax, talk about the music, the bands, the window displays. I love seeing the smiles on people’s faces.”
As for that “killer” jukebox that started it all, it was named the No. 1 jukebox in the United States by Billboard and Esquire, and the No. 1 in the world by the BBC. Edwards, who faithfully changes the records in it every two weeks, makes sure one record always remained, ready to spin: Fats Domino’s “Blueberry Hill.”
