Before I sat down, I knew better. The picture he had hanging on the wall should have been enough to prevent me from jumping into the chair, but after waiting close to an hour for my regular dude to show up, time was of the essence. I rock a baldie, so I figured it shouldn’t take long at all. That’s where I made the mistake. It wasn’t about the time; it was about the attention.
I told him what I wanted done and trusted he’d do just that, but wrong. I felt it as soon as it happened. I didn’t need a mirror for confirmation but glanced at it anyway. I looked just like that family portrait he had on the wall. He, his sons and wife all had the Charlie Chaplin mustache poppin’ and now so did I. I didn’t spazz, but let it be known that the customer wasn’t pleased. His reaction was, “Calm down, it’s only hair. It’ll grow back.” That’s the absolute worst thing a barber can say to his client.
A sentiment confirmed by Pooh the Barber. “When you see me, you get what you ask for and you leave happy. After I get an understanding of what they want, my client will leave with a haircut that was molded for the customer with precise sharp lines,” he said. For years on in, this attitude has been the perceived attitude of barber/client.
Historically however, that hasn’t always been the case. Author Quincy T. Mills revealed in his book, “Cutting Along the Color Line: Black Barbers and Barber Shops in America,” an incident from the mid-19th century that’s contrarian to that thought. Taken from an African-American newspaper was a letter to the editor from a gentleman who called himself Long Island Scribe. While traveling through Newburgh, N.Y., the man ventured into a barbershop and asked a Black barber for a shave. The barber, who had just finished cutting the hair of a white man, turned to him and said, “No sir, we don’t shave colored people.” That statement compelled Long Island Scribe to pen the editor, “What a class we colored people are. So Black and degraded that we cannot touch each other! How can we condemn the whites, so long as such a state of feeling exists among ourselves?”
More than a century later, it’s ironic that one of the premier African-American barbers in the nation hails from Long Island. Pooh the Barber boasts a clientele that ranges from the everyday man to professionals and celebrities, including Danny Green of the San Antonio Spurs, Tobias Harris of the Detroit Pistons, Pastor A.R. Bernard of CCC Brooklyn, N.Y., (largest church in N.Y. with 40,000 members), Jamal “Gravy” Woolard from the films “Notorious” and the Tupac biopic “All Eyes on Me,” Shaun Ellis of the NY Jets and the New England Patriots and actor Lamman Rucker.
Nicknamed the “Head Doctor” for his ability to provide a rather dapper haircut, Pooh sets the standard for how your hair should be groomed by any barber who may come after. He trains the client’s hair. Pooh explained, “I like it when I transform somebody’s appearance. That’s what the Head Doctor does best! If someone else cuts their hair later, people will notice it wasn’t done by the same dude.” He describes himself as a briefcase barber as he constantly travels the nation for his customers, but he also has set up shop in his hometown, owning two establishments: Barbershop Training Center and Flawless Hair Salon for women, located at 207 Bay Shore Rd., Deer Park, Long Island, N.Y.
Said Pooh, “I don’t allow cursing, hanging out, drinking or soliciting in my shops. That’s how I run my business. That how I’m going to get to where I got to go. I make sure my clients enjoy the full experience.” Just as important are the opportunities he affords others. “I also enjoy training other young barbers—that’s why my shop is called Barbershop Training Center,” he concluded.
So while the grill works its way back to shape, I won’t need a well-kept beard for what’s about to go down at the Apollo, Friday, Aug. 5. The grimier the better, as the grit is real for the show deemed The Originals, featuring legendary emcees who all at one time held the torchlight for New York City hip-hop. The lineup consists of N.O.R.E., Harlem’s own Jim Jones, Jadakiss and, making a return to the Apollo stage, DMX. Hopefully things will be back on track by Aug. 9 as Jill Scott makes her debut on the same hollowed stage. A few tickets may still be available at the Apollo Theater Box Office (253 W. 125th St.) or on Ticketmaster for both shows.
Over and out. Be back with the details next week. Til then, enjoy the nightlife.