Mr. Broadway's was a very unusual Hair styling salon. I worked there
from 1968 till 1972. It was first shop in the city to cut men's
hair
in a salon and I was the first woman stylist to do so.
We had a large light box that produced lightshows that danced in
sync with latest and greatest music we played. Usually
the music was KMPX, one of the more popular free-form FM stations
in the Bay Area. They
often played tapes
the bands had
brought them. The walls were painted day-glo and we served
wine among other things.
Lots
of the bands of the day had their haircut there. The Jefferson Airplane,
Credence Clearwater, others plus the disc-jockeys and other
folks who wanted to look cool, too.
The bands and disc-jockeys
sometimes gave us free records and free passes to the shows.
In the room where I cut mens' hair, There
a large
water
bed for people to lounge out while they waited their
turn. The stylists I worked with were as fun and interesting a group
as the clients who came to see us and groove with the scene and each
other.
Stanley was a great guy to work for. He
gave terrific parties in his Telegraph flat and sometimes we would
all
go down to the beach and spend the day making sand candles. I talked
him into buying a 1932 fire engine. We put a sign on the side
that said Mr. Broadway and we would ride around town in it much to
the delight of the people who saw us.
My clients clients preferred
shag haircuts, large tightly permanent waved afros or wanted
their
hair cut to look like John Fogerty or Robert Redford. I never
cut Robert Redford's hair but I did cut John's. It was a great
job and I loved it. The whole experience
of working there was far-out, man!
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