April Barton is a moving force. Flashes of silver shears, spurts of hair spray, clips of stray hairs fly around the hairdresser in her salon on Bond Street. On this day, she’s trimming guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd. She’s working the room, hands and scissors cutting through the air as she throws her head back in laughter.
April used to be 19 years old, fresh faced and new to the city. She set up shop in room 303 at the Chelsea Hotel in '95. One day, a friend came in wearing a necklace that captivated her. April eventually met the maker of that necklace. “No introduction was needed. I took one look at her and knew.” The gems were unmistakably Jill. Suite 303, April's salon, is now located on Bond St.
Today, April sets down her scissors, jewels wrapped around her fingers and wrists. They are reminders of where she started, where her feet stand now, and where she’s going next.
The day we came in to visit her she was prepping Kenny for a photo shoot with Mark Seliger. Walking out of the salon, Kenny turned to us and said, "There is no one like April. She's an artist, as true as they come."
