( 6:54 AM )
Building a Strong Case
Musical super genius Phil Spector and his Wall of Sound, it could be argued, was an influential force behind the early days of rock & roll. Spector's production talents were behind such seminal musical acts as the the Righteous Brothers, Ike & Tina Turner, The Ronettes, and Ben E. King. Tempermental, Spector dropped out of the music scene before the '60s were over. His legend, however, was secure, even if his emotional stability was not.
In recent years, Spector has found himself in a bit of trouble, culminating with the 2003 shooting death of actress Lana Clarkson at his California mansion. Spector, accused of murder in the case, is scheduled to be tried for the muder in September.
Judging by this picture, I'm willing to guess Spector will be using the insanity defense. There can be no other explanation for his afro.
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( 7:23 AM )
The Doctor is IN
You knew it was just a matter of time before Julius Erving's picture appeared in this thread. Dr. J's coif may well have been the one that caused the afro to become so popular during the '70s.
Julius wore a great afro during his time as a standout cager at UMass, and his hair got national attention when he turned pro, joining the ABA's Virginia Squires, but it was during his run with the Nets when Dr. J's afro reached the pinnacle of greatness. Not coincidentally, the Nets managed to win the ABA title during that same period.
Of course, most people associated Dr. J with the Philadelphia '76ers, but I prefer to think of his time in the ABA, and his hair's glorious look during that period.
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( 7:15 PM )
Best Gay Afro
Richard Simmons scores a tie for best gay afro and most annoying afro.
Bursting on the scene in the late 1970s, when America suddenly realized just how fat it was, Simmons was among the first to cash in on the fitness craze. Once a run-of-the-mill fatso, Simmons dropped a bunch of weight and decided his feat gave him all the right he needed to inflict himself upon the world.
At the time his flamboyant style was seen as merely "showmanship." Like other colorful icons before him (namely Liberace), he was a big hit with housewives, who found him entertaining and curiously non-threatening.
But I don't pretend to reveal any secrets; I only attempt to set the stage, for as the pages of the calendar turned, Simmons proved to have staying power. Unfortunately. The novelty of Simmons' loud, in-your-face mincing and prancing wore off sometime around 1981, yet 25 years later, he's still here, as loud and mincing as ever.
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( 10:15 AM )
Welcome Back
Is there any doubt that Welcome Back Kotter was one of the great sitcoms of all time? Yeah, I guess there's plenty of doubt, but without hesitation I can tell you that, when it comes to the afro, there was no greater multi-cultural, afro-wearing ensemble than the Sweathogs (save for John Travolta, who I guess thought he was too cool).
Consider the that Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs' (Freddy "Boom Boom" Washington) afro was, by itself, run of the mill. But when added to those worn by Robert Hegyes (Juan Epstein), Ron Palillo (Arnold Horshack), and Gabe Kaplan (Mr. Kotter himself), you've got a curly-haired juggernaut that would not - could not - be denied.
Age and memory being what they are, I seem to recall that Debralee Scott may have even had an afro at one time during the show's run. She's known best, of course, for her Farrahesque hair, but it's possible that she fell under the afro's swoon. And can you blame her? Amigos, all the cool kids were doing it, and Hotsie Totsie was certainly one cool chick.
Gotta give the nod to Kapler on this one, though. A tight race between he and Hegyes for best in show, but I think Kotter's afro, in combination with the moustache, gets the edge.
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( 1:38 PM )
Big Gamble
Probably one of the most unintentionally hilarious afros in sporting history was that worn by baseballer Oscar Gamble.
How one manages to wear a ball cap when you've got a 'fro of this magnitute is a mystery to me. I mean, my cap blows off on a breezy day even when cinched so tight I have a headache after 10 minutes. I gotta believe Gamble's lid was tumbling into the field of play every ten seconds, perched precariously atop his head as it appears to be in his cards.
I've provided you with one example here, but if you to a Google Image search for "Oscar Gamble," you'll be amazed at what you see. There are some in which the cap is clearly the result of bad photo retouching (likely in this case, too).
Oscar Gamble is clearly an Afro Hall of Fame candidate.
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( 12:35 PM )
Colonel Q
One of the prerequisites for being considered among the all time great afros is that the 'do must be unexpected. Office Max's "Rubber Band Man," for example, doesn't qualify since his is more or less a marketing gimmick. Yeah, it's a great 'fro, but it has the taint of calculated commercialism.
Back in the 1980s, one of the leading purveyors of Arab terrorism was Colonel Muammar Qaddafy. Colonel Q may have been the cause of much international consternation, as well as a spate of armed conflict in which I played a minor role, but in spite of his troublemaking, he was also making his mark as what may be the only Arab to ever wear the afro.
I've posted photographic evidence of that fact for your benefit.
Lately, Colonel Q has maintained his position on the leading edge of fashion by wearing robes that would make Liberace blush, while surrounding himself with a squad of attractive female security guards (in case anyone drew the wrong conclusion from his choice of garb). All well and good, but it is the afro that helped Qaddafy make his first splashy fashion mark.
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( 3:07 PM )
More Great Afros
I was a big Cowboys fan as a kid. Roger Staubach was my boyhood hero, and Drew Pearson was often his target. Unseen during the game, mashed under his helmet, Drew had one happening afro, as you can see.
I own this card, by the way, and a bunch of other classic cards from the 1970s. Anyone want to buy them from me?
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( 8:12 AM )
Great Afros of All Time
I think it's worth the effort to pick from among the great afros of all time. I referenced Boston's Sib Hashian in my previous post and have posted his picture here.
From time to time, I'll add others to the list, but let's be clear about one thing, Sib is the standard by which all afros must be judged, and all others are found wanting by comparison.
Feel free to suggest others. I'll likely categorize them. Sib gets best of show as well as best rock & roll 'fro. Dr. J will likely get best basketball 'fro (though I have a distinct recollection that John Havlicek had one that was pretty happening around 1974 that he cut once the season started). The Dallas Cowboys' Drew Pearson will be tough to beat in the football player category.
Anyway, here's Sib's amazing afro. You cannot deny him his due place in afro history.
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