Tom Archia (1919–1977), born Ernest Alvin Archia, Jr. and also known as “Texas Tom”, was an American jazz and rhythm and blues tenor saxophonist. Born in Groveton, Texas, he began his musical studies on the violin before switching to the saxophone while attending Wheatley High School. After graduating from Prairie View A&M University in 1939, Archia joined Milt Larkin's band, later moving to Chicago in 1942 for a residency at the Rhumboogie Club. He recorded with Roy Eldridge in 1943 and Howard McGhee in 1945 before becoming a prominent artist for Aristocrat Records between 1947 and 1948. Archia frequently participated in tenor saxophone duels with artists such as Gene Ammons and Buster Bennett. Following a broken jaw in 1967, he retired to Houston, where he performed with the Sonny Franklin Big Band. Archia died on January 16, 1977. His work is collected in the compilation The Chronological Tom Archia 1947–1948.
