Mr.
Broadway
1505 Broadway
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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