The Godfather Of Hair, Celebrity Hairstylist Brad Johns

spk_0:   0:00
All right, All right. Out ride. Has everyone doing my name's Brock. I want to thank you so much for tuning into Backed Your Story, a podcast about real people and real stories. This is Story number 19 and my guest today is the legendary Brad Johns. He has a story that will blow your frickin mind away. He was voted the Best Colors in New York by Allure magazine. Ah, the colors are once said that he is one of New York's hottest colorist, with a list of credits that reads like a list of who's Who of modeling and a devoted regular clientele that includes such stars as Tatum O'Neal and Carol Burnett, you know. But this podcast was a lot more than just about hair. We spoke about a huge array of topics, ranging from the non stop bullying that he faces a child growing up in extremely poor conditions, the AIDS epidemic of the eighties, life, love, business and so much more. His story is one that I will never forget. This is the story of Brad Johns from the Land of Mystery, with dreams become reality, always listening to stories from the past, the present and the future. This is back. All right. All right. How you doing? Good, man. I want to thank you so much for coming on over. I really, really appreciate it. When Penelope, uh, linked us up together and you she put me in touch with five people and you were just the 1st 1 to get back to me and so gracious. And I mean, you live, like, an hour away from here. Uh, and what is it? I know, I know, I know. But we've met, like, one time before for 15 20 minutes. Whatever it was when we were talking and for you to come all the way out here, it means a lot to me.

spk_1:   2:07
Well, I do. And you do most things to help people, and that's what it's

spk_0:   2:12
all about. Absolutely. Is that something that has always been a part of you?

spk_1:   2:16
My mom and dad, they They were really incredible people, and they taught us a lot of stuff. And, of course, I thought they were out of their mind. Hunger? Yes, but you know, I'm there all my life, even through my success and failures and all that. So I always did the right thing. And one time I did the right thing and it was painful. And I used you usually in my life or my career because I grew up kind of tough. I wake up in a fierce space. So what I do and I have a little box here that I built and I opened the box, put fear, and they're close to goto work. Come back home, open the box and deal with whatever the So I that I put the thing of, um, why'd I do the right thing? It was very painful in there and took it out. And I said, Why the hell do I always do the right thing? And I'm never in. My mom and dad always did the right thing. They never said do the right thing. They just did it. And I would see them like they had nothing in, like when If there were kids on our steps in the project, they were hungry to go. What are you doing out there? Come in here. And it was not about ho was put there was like Come on. It was not about We're doing a good deed. It was about. It's the right thing to do, and that is a big deal because most people not most people, lots of people don't do the right

spk_0:   3:46
thing. You're absolutely correct. You're absolutely correct. One thing I've noticed from doing this podcast is that people, um as as a whole when their parents to do the right thing. Vania is a direct correlation to that individual down the road, right, Because we are a product of our environment. So if you have parents that are, you know, deadbeat drug addicts or, you know, nine out of 10 times, that might be what you could be right, That's not 10 out of 10 times and even the other way around. But with your parents doing the right thing without having to say doing the right thing,

spk_1:   4:24
it's not about saying

spk_0:   4:25
yes. Actions speak louder than words,

spk_1:   4:27
but I have to go back a little bit. I've known a lot of drug and the attic parents that did the right thing. Yeah, absolutely so and because because because I deal with a lot of stuff through my life, sadness and that so but I you go beyond it and do the right thing So I've seen growing up like bad, bad drug addicts and alcoholics. But they did the right thing by their Children. Is much

spk_0:   5:01
Yes. Well, that's Ah, that's a great point. Deal on. And I want t o You

spk_1:   5:06
could say, Well, you know, I'm a drug addict, or I'm sad or so I don't do the right thing, but that's don't buy and

spk_0:   5:15
know You're absolutely because just because you're a drug addict doesn't mean that you do. The battered were bad things, right? Most of the time, it's a Yeah. Yeah. Like a mental illness. Right. Um, I guess what I was trying to say is like, If you grew up in a family that does drugs, chances are you're probably do drugs rights, but that doesn't mean that you're a bad person. I

spk_1:   5:33
know. It's just it's just

spk_0:   5:35
it's a fight. That part of what?

spk_1:   5:36
You were trained? Yeah, absolutely. I think 50% you came here. I think we come here 50% off or I believe in past lives times. Okay, so I believe 50% from where we came and then 50%. So I'm the plant and my parents are the pot with the soil. My parents were great soil. A couple little rocks in there for sure, but great soil. Now, lot of I don't want to say this, but a lot of people that have everything the soil is dry because they're busy. Absolutely kid. A lot of couple celebrities I did. It was very interesting. A lot of their Children don't do so well. And I said to one of the my celebrity clients, whose daughter wasn't doing so well, I said, Why do you think that is? And the celebrity said, Well, I think because when I was on TV, she would look and say, Why isn't mommy here with me? Why is she in that box? She's not with me, and that's an emptiness, because that box is more important than I'm a three year old. Where's my Oh, she's in there. Well, kids don't give a shit about give it up.

spk_0:   6:45
Sorry. No, I

spk_1:   6:46
don't care about TV. I care about Mom being here. And of course, a lot of celebrities clients, and I've done a lot of them, and I'm I'm a little bit of a sensitive like a little maturity tive and kind of draw it out of them, and they were sad about it. And I always say, You know what? You did the best you could. We didn't all get manuals. And they're okay now. Yeah. You know, I should have did better. I said we all should have did bad

spk_0:   7:07
course, of course. And and And that's kind of ah, big thing to say, because, um, we don't have a manual in life, right? We are just a product of our environment and, um, for, you know, an individual that is, you know, a celebrity and working their ass off and doing all that shit. And they have kids. It can be very difficult to juggle both right, s o. I fully fully understand that. I want to know where the story of Brad starts.

spk_1:   7:35
Okay, um, I I loved I love color. Like for me. When I was little and I would go outside, I would say mom, like, look how the how the tree cut vibrating the color and pulsating should go. I don't really see that, but if you do and I'd say Ma, look at that. Look at look at the look at the color of the blue like what? Like in should go? Yeah, it's my But first I must I love my mom, but you see, she was color blind

spk_0:   8:10
but sweet blue in Greece when

spk_1:   8:11
I would say, Look at the blue should go home. Yeah, well, that looks green to it was. But anyway, the colors were very important to me always, and I and we're not. But when we were growing up, we were really poor. So the only way that one of the ways people felt better was when the neighborhood hairdressers came over and did everybody's hair color. And I would sit and watching these two fabulous hairdressers in the neighborhood because nobody is really working. Then they're on welfare, and it was very sad. But the hairdresser's air coming and they would make these women from like brown too blond or red. And in that hour, the woman would go from sad, too. Oh, my God, I look so great. And I noticed that when I was little and it was about color, it cuts for cuts for cuts were the cake. A color was the icing, and I thought, Gee, this is kinda neat kind of. I was like six that Wow, you have a neat thing to be able to change somebody's heart by this. And I always loved chemicals like I loved plastics and chemicals and I love all chemicals. If I was smarter, I'd have been a chemist. But I turned that into hair color. But my mom was telling a story once that when I was little, before that even happened, I was like, four. I used to get all the troll dolls from big toe little color their hair with food coloring. God should not say, why don't do this, she said. You'd say they didn't have the right color. So I think people come here to do something. And I I think I came here to to be to change the hair color world, and I'm very humble about it, and I'm proud that I did it if I did. But but I think that I chose this air of 50 60 seventies eighties nineties because that's when the best toners were Just come over here, where I I think you choose where you're gonna go into. Do you excuse me to do this particular art I love and and I I s Oh, I was I was very good in school. I graduate 24 out of 400 on, and I was really sad in school. Cause was really poor, and I just didn't know what to do. I just back. So I said to my mom, who was like, my guardian angel. So how I can't I got to get out of here like I can't live in the project, All right? She's the only way you do. Well, as you do well in school and you go to college, So 24 out of 400. And I, uh I want to do acting because I thought that'd be a neat thing to do. And I got into M y. You still allow Adler and all the while you people And it was so strange when I went for the interview of the audition because I've never been on a plane and I didn't have any acting coach and no singing coach. But I was getting in on I got to and and why you? I was on a plane. I know about that. But when I got to end my you all my friends from Carnegie Mellon Summer drama school. All had their acting coaches and their, you know, thing. And I was like, I don't really give a shit. I'm getting in. Wow, I'm getting so that it was so weird like it did not I should have been a mess. Yeah, I was

spk_0:   11:31
like, You're determined. That's that's amazing.

spk_1:   11:34
I I walked in. There were six teachers there. I did two monologues to songs and I walked out and my friend who went with me, he said What? I said, I have to get in. I didn't When has went home. Didn't give a shit about it. I got in the other two colleges, but my mother said, Stay close to home So and why he was closest and my my mom called. She said I had the letters here from M Y. Yeah, well, you can open it, she said. Now what if I said I got in very late? Well, you know, I I'll wait to get home and I opened it and I got in. She went, How'd you know? I said I had to. I had to. There was no other way for me to survive. That's so I also your intention is about. I'm getting in. Here s got in. So I went there, loved acting until I met was still Adler. And she told all of us that your choices, your talent And I thought, Well, I chose this

spk_0:   12:30
acting, but it's not passionate like she and we knew that

spk_1:   12:34
Am I going to do me in While I was doing everybody's hair color and cut in all the dorms? And I thought in my my friend, my mother, mentor Vivian, who paid for beauty school for me because I didn't have the money? She said, Why don't you get a beauty school? And I went What doesn't everybody know how to do hair? And she said, Brad, that's why they're asking you all the time to do it because, you know, I said, Well, look, I'll go with you if I don't like it when I walk in there, That's it. I'm moving back to Pittsburgh and I didn't really

spk_0:   13:03
give us so so real quick because I want to get to the hair thing right at the hair thing. You two, to your your illustrious career. Fucking done. Amazing. But you grew up in Pittsburgh, right? And there's two things that stand out most from what you just said. One your determination to not an intensive an intention. Right? But number two, your mom, she was a huge

spk_1:   13:31
and my grandma, my three fake red, sacred feminine Zehr, My aunt, grandmother and mother. They knew I was special and I didn't and they just whatever whatever ride once and that without that I'd be

spk_0:   13:46
dead. That's amazing. You hold that deep that you hold that near and dear to you. And I see the way that you light up when you talk about your mom, it's and your grandmother and it's ah, it's fantastic because I

spk_1:   13:56
would be dead I chose. I mean, I think he choose your parents, but I chose them because I knew they'd be my supporters. And why I brought the with the choices of talent ing. When I went into that beauty school that day, I smell the color, and I said to my friend, You can leave. This is it. Wow, I was 17 and that was it.

spk_0:   14:15
This happens that happens, like, twice so far in your store. And I'm sure a lot more as we go along is like you know what you have to do. There's no other option a men if I can do it. Why? How was that instilled in you? Was this something you were born with?

spk_1:   14:28
It was, um What do you mean, what?

spk_0:   14:31
You just you know. So like, why you and why you I'm getting in,

spk_1:   14:35
you know, act. I'm gonna tear. If I didn't get in by you, I would have I wouldn't have made it.

spk_0:   14:44
That's incredible, because most younger kids do not have that. Not that they don't have that, but to just have that at such a young age.

spk_1:   14:54
Well, there was really not a choice. I was either gonna get out of the project or die. They were either going to kill me, or I was gonna kill myself because it was so depressing. And I was an artist. And if you didn't play football in Pittsburgh, they brutalized. You were brutalized. I used to go to school two hours early to hide under the stairs so they would go up first. And then I go up up after them because they bought I didn't know why, because I was. And then later on, when I met with him in the high school. Uh, and what's a calling for your union? They said, you know, we bothered you so much because we knew you were special. We didn't know what to do with me. And I said, You know what? I forgave you when you did it. Because back then my inner voice said, forgive them because they don't know what they're doing is not good. I never I I felt when aged a Balinese to brutalize me. I would feel so bad for them. Seriously, I really did. I was like, My God, these poor people like, Why did they have to do this? I didn't know. I didn't have never fought back, and I never I never I felt bad for them. I really did.

spk_0:   16:00
This isn't, you know, for you and your story, you know, getting made fun of and picked on. Um, you're not the only person. And this is a huge issue. Kids are mean. They don't understand. Writes

spk_1:   16:12
out because they're coming from sad, Of course. And my my mom once again, I said to my mom when all the bullies would get together and put cats in the in the garbage can light them on fire.

spk_0:   16:24
Oh, my

spk_1:   16:25
and I I I said my mom why they do that? And she said, because they have sadness in their home. And then I remember her saying that. And I thought that they must have really seven. You have to hit me. Yeah, I don't I never hit anybody. I don't know. I don't know why. And I don't I don't have I might be sad that I'm not gonna hit you and get to make I don't get

spk_0:   16:44
How long were you? Were you picked on your whole entire spoke first grade on No way, Because that

spk_1:   16:50
was it. I was playing with the girl's hair and making the Barbie I was doing artistic in a sheep mentality, which I didn't blame them. I was the person that should been killed because I wasn't like them. But I felt bad for them. I do. Did I get from day one?

spk_0:   17:07
Unlike how you are able to look at it, even at a young age, you're able to look at it like that because, uh, when I was younger, before I got into, like junior high and high school, I was picked on a lot because I had long hair and a ponytail. Um, some people would like look like a girl. Let's find something always, always, always, always. And I think, you know, things changed as I got older junior high and high school, and I always stood up for the kids I got picked on because I always, like just I don't know, it's something instilled. Maybe because I was picked on, you know, in the early years of my life, uh, that you have to stand up for the underdog, right? You can't just sit there and watch, but I'm sure there are a lot of kids that satin watched you get picked on. And did that bother you?

spk_1:   17:53
Um, I felt really bad for them because they didn't. They didn't want to get picked on either one of my best friends. He was like, six foot two. I'm 57 They would brutalize him a lot, and I would want to help. I'm too small to help s o. I would just be there for them. And most like, Jim. Don't worry. You know those kids, they I tried to always make it be where, um, that money, my I have. I'm a golden silver since one of my necklaces. I made a big thing. One of my big big phrases with this too shall pass. That's because the way you are today, you won't be

spk_0:   18:29
now will be laughing next next year, if that's okay, or

spk_1:   18:34
you might not be here or you don't know. So I just had I always had a lot of compassion. It was it was it was from the voice, that voice,

spk_0:   18:43
What is that voice? Could you keep on talking about

spk_1:   18:45
the voices that, um, like when when I would be beat up by the cause? I'm Greg well, Catholic. So when I would go to all the Catholicism's schools when I would leave the school that altar boys and meet me out and I thought one time, I think, actually says that, God, why are your people beating me up? And some voice said, They're not my people And I went with that. Who said, Yeah, I just I It was so true that I went, That's right. If if somebody harms somebody, they're not off a love space. And that's where this voice must be coming from, because every time I was in a problem like, for example, when I first moved to New York. We used to hang out in 40 seconds to go all the time. It was great, but it was very dangerous, but I didn't care, so I wouldn't. I remember walking and the voice would say, Do not turn down that street, not go, Okay. And I was with my baby with my rich friends who didn't have the voice yet more it all, and they'd say, Well, I said, We're not going down there to go wine ago. I'm not going. I don't think we should go And it's a wine. I go. I just know it was very difficult to explain. Later on, when I got older, I realized it was some kind of positive universe voice that really helped me through my whole career.

spk_0:   20:08
I love that. My whole life's honking on. We're gonna get to that story my whole life. I have felt even since I was like 56 years old, that someone was following me even to this day. When I walk down the street, I turned around 10 times because I always think someone's there.

spk_1:   20:23
You feel good about it

spk_0:   20:25
sometimes. Scared, actually of I don't know. I don't know.

spk_1:   20:30
That's usually a helpful

spk_0:   20:31
person. I think so. Awful spirit. I, um Okay. All right. If

spk_1:   20:36
it was evil, I learned with one of my friends is going through an evil spirit in their house. They really can't harm you because they think they're still alive, is he? She's going through a lot, but he never really harmed her. And she just has to move.

spk_0:   20:48
Yeah, you're You're very intuitive, Bond. And I like that.

spk_1:   20:51
And it's not a great it's a It's a great thing, but it's very difficult to be because I would know every client's feelings every every assistant sad. And it was very tough, but I would put it in here. Okay. Little box.

spk_0:   21:03
Are you? Ain't So do you Consider yourself, like, do you wear your heart on your sleeve? Are you able to lock it in that box whenever you? Yeah, me too. I can't, um my emotions if I'm sad, people gonna know if I'm happy. People are gonna know. And and and that's that I don't have a way to turn it off. And I exactly right

spk_1:   21:23
houses that might cause constipation.

spk_0:   21:26
Don't worry. Or cancer. Yeah, I

spk_1:   21:29
don't Hold that.

spk_0:   21:30
Now let it out. Okay. All right. So get back to your story. Growing.

spk_1:   21:34
Get off.

spk_0:   21:35
No, no, no. That's how that's how this rolls, You know, we go off, we bring back the offer them back. So I'm getting back to your story. Growing up in pits were growing up in a rough air. You getting picked on. At what point in your life were you, like? Okay, this is it. I'm done. Was it was a junior high school high school. Was it when you went to go for N Y u what one Was

spk_1:   21:57
it done with getting out of there You don't know about? No, No. I knew I was good again in to college. So I when I arrived in, why you, my father and brother and grandfather drove me in. I unloaded the station wagon and I said you could leave now. And that was my Freedom Day. Because nobody ever bothered me after that. Because they loved me because I was where I was supposed to be. Like I assumes I got toe and will you? I bleached my hair blonde and made it blue blue on blue clothes and all the people were like, that looks fucking brilliant. Yeah. Is that in Pittsburgh? I would have been murdered, So I was like, Nobody's looking at me. So then it let me when you're free, as when you're free is an artist, you can do anything you want when you're you can't. It's hard to

spk_0:   22:45
explore. It's so true, you know, or

spk_1:   22:48
they freed me. Is an artist being with

spk_0:   22:50
Harvey? And do you also feel that just being free as an individual allows you to be the best person that you can be?

spk_1:   22:58
Um, it's hard for a sensitive person on the planet because, like moving to L. A like the homeless, kill me now, kill me like I know what they're doing in there and I know what they're feeling in there that I just can't even look. But I look because what am I supposed to do about it? What are we so those being sent it's much easier being a junkie or not sensitive or cold because you don't I would never want to be that know the right way is to have capacity

spk_0:   23:36
for sure. Absolutely. On do you know there are two types of people? I I do think this is I do believe in our time out yesterday is that there are people that are good and they're people that are bad. Now, that does not mean that, like, Tom, I really like the drug addict, right? Just because you're a drug addict doesn't make you a bad person, right? Uh, but for you, you're a good person and you feel everyone else's energy. That's got to be very a lot.

spk_1:   24:03
It's a lot. It's a lot. But you know what? Some people can't don't have eyes.

spk_0:   24:09
If you were to look back at your younger self and those times that you were running under the stairs getting picked on, what would you say being the person that you are today? Good, Tom, There we go.

spk_1:   24:21
I I I made it through the wilderness to go. But you know what? All of that trained me to live and be successful in the jungle of New York. New York was my mistress. My guy lives in L. A. Number of New York was my mistress. It gave me everything everything. And he let me do whatever you want to do it? It always seduced me, and I was. And it was It was my mistress. It's not the same for me anymore, but I'm not the same. L a is mine. My wife ever go? No, but I would say good. Good job, Good

spk_0:   25:00
job. A people that are from New York or live in New York for long periods of time, especially when they're younger toe when they get older, they are some of the toughest people I know. I

spk_1:   25:10
am kind of

spk_0:   25:11
I don't know much about that, but you guys are talking

spk_1:   25:15
tough like when I'm not here right now, and somebody tries ago. Look, buddy.

spk_0:   25:19
Yeah, You're actually really quick. I never thought about the kindness part because the 1st 3 people I'm thinking of is you Kim Perfetto from last night who was on the podcast. And Penelope. All right, super kind

spk_1:   25:33
Parents are two of the kind of people I've ever met, but she doesn't have to be kind. She chose that? Yes. And what? Why? Why new? Why New York such a good mistress is it teaches you to be kind and sexy, but it also teach you to say No, you don't, buddy. I've been that rodeo. You're not abusing me. I got a mistress will show you how to live. I'm not saying in real life, I'm saying that that kind of city for sure. No, I am so so when I'm here. Like when? When I was downtown a couple weeks ago, this guy came up to me and said, Do you spoke crystal? I went, I'm not now. I never did. But I have fun in other words, like, I know what you're doing and I'm not going to give you money. And I get who you are, and I'm kind to you, and I'm done doing what I do know. Get the fuck out of here for sure, because I'm not afraid of him. It's not afraid of dying.

spk_0:   26:30
So many people, though, are afraid of these of people out of, you know, drug addicts, homeless. They come up to them for money. They are some of the least harmful people on the face of the planet because, I mean, they're just trying to get their next

spk_1:   26:45
they also, some of them are strung out so they can also stab you. And I'm not afraid of death. So I'm gonna go. That's how we're gonna go. But I'm going to say you know what? I've never I've never done that. I'm not going to do it. And I don't I can't help you and talk to you later.

spk_0:   27:00
Absolutely. I got next

spk_1:   27:02
divorce. You have to close the thing you can't say. Oh, well, what do you No, no, just horses. Know when you're afraid on. Even when I was in high school, they said they did. They beat me up it. They knew I wasn't really afraid. Because

spk_0:   27:19
you say that to yourself. We're going to leave it.

spk_1:   27:21
They knew they knew because they I can give you a short one. A real short store. So every day when I walk home, there were bullies everywhere. So I would pick up a certain path to walk home. And one day I picked the wrong paths. They were all there. I had school books. I had to go home and cook. Watch. Mother, sister and brother had a lot to do. Study. So the I said, Oh, here we go. So that I stood still. They all surrounded me and they started hitting me But I just stood there and they said, Well, aren't you going to hit back? I said, I don't fight and they said Why? I said, I'm very busy on and they said, What do you mean? I said, I have a lot of homework to do. I have to go take him, our brother and sister. You can beat me up as much as you want. But then I got to go. So could you. When we get complete, you do what you need to do. And then one kid hit me and he said, You're really not fighting back. I said, I don't fight. I'm too busy for this and it's not the right thing to do And they said, Well, just go then and they never bother me again. They never I never saw them again because they would. If somebody serves you a tennis ball and nobody service back, Well, how long you gonna stand the court? I never saw them again. And when I was walking away, I said, How sad that they tried to beat me up. I don't really want to fight and they got it and they didn't look too. They looked they looked a little sad that they weren't gonna be ableto

spk_0:   28:44
Yeah. Yeah. You can't get me. No, that's

spk_1:   28:47
you can. Wow. The only person get me is me. If I'm gonna get if nobody's gonna get me on my own worst enemy for sure, I'm too short too. They can't. They're not. My mother taught my mother my mother, my gram. My family taught me that.

spk_0:   29:02
Where did your first off that is? Uh,

spk_1:   29:05
it was that stuff. I didn't know. It was just like I knew it was gonna get on. Why it? Just like I knew I was going to get into y you. I knew I had to get home. I was busy. So you do what you gotta do out. I'll with the call. I'll stumble home, but I'm going to get home. My brother and sister waiting had make macaroni and cheese. My mother wasn't home yet. I have something to do. Something positive.

spk_0:   29:26
How old were you at that time? Must have been 20th

spk_1:   29:28
grade and then I'll give me roast another. And one time before that happened. Somebody I got new shoes. We don't have any money. These new shoes and they ripped the back of my shoe. So when I got home, my mother said Your shoes ripped and I went, I felt she said, Brad, I know how you take care of your clothes. Who did that? I said, Look, Mama, I don't want you to go bother anybody. I'll sew it myself will be fine And I let it go because she would've went and killed their parents. And I don't have a mother injured. So I I was proud that I handled a lot of stuff. Yeah, because I

spk_0:   30:04
felt their sad I did. That is, for the first story that you shared is it's very it's sad and I want to say it's sad and I'm happy that they stop picking on you. He didn't see them again, but it's sad because when kids were doing that, they want to get the satisfaction of them. You know, being scared and like a

spk_1:   30:23
freaking out a five year one of them to get the satisfaction just beat me up. Yeah, but I gotta go.

spk_0:   30:28
Yeah, but that's not. But but But you know, the kids that are doing that they get the satisfaction one day punch back the other kid

spk_1:   30:35
punches back. Okay, that's not my journey.

spk_0:   30:37
No, it's not, It's not. And it worked for you. And I like that. You said if you look back your younger self good job,

spk_1:   30:45
only good job from being led. Of

spk_0:   30:48
course. And you were able to get out of it. I mean, because kids do pick on other kids and they bully. And then, you know, there's a lot of bad things that can happen, but for you, even through all the bullshit that you went through, you were able to make a good life.

spk_1:   31:01
Certain people that come here t change something on the planet. So they're guided and they make it Some

spk_0:   31:09
earlier you were talking about. You know, those kids when you're going to Catholic school like they're the voice that you had, right? Uh, like, they're They're not my kids, right? They're not my son. God was saying that, but do you think

spk_1:   31:23
he said the voice said he didn't. The voice didn't mean that they weren't his Children. The voice said What they're doing is not off me.

spk_0:   31:34
Okay? Okay. You notice? Okay? No, no, I I get that I get

spk_1:   31:37
aggression is not of me went, held it.

spk_0:   31:41
Okay? All right.

spk_1:   31:42
But it was more like I would hear it, but I would feel it more like I felt like That's not just im me going to cataclysm class. That's a good thing. But they go, too, but they're not getting the goodness out of him.

spk_0:   31:56
I get that. Yeah, well, no. No, I trust me. I get that. And you said something like, It's not so much the voice, but I feel it right. It's a feeling, right? It's not, uh, Boom. That's it, Right? When I talk a lot about song in the podcast, it's, uh, you know, we can choose two things in life. We can go with our heart. We go with our gut, Right?

spk_1:   32:16
Well, I think three not to interrupt. You think you could go with your mind? Your heart, your gut?

spk_0:   32:21
Okay. What? He thinks usually, right? Exactly.

spk_1:   32:26
Got first in associates in association with heart. Second, the mind to consign off, but mind will fuck you up.

spk_0:   32:34
It will Fuck you. Are you are. Sometimes the heart is too emotional.

spk_1:   32:37
No, I looked at one of my absolute shows. All the different parts of the body. Yeah, there's actually a shield of fibrous material here, which has no function. That is your gut feeling. That's your shield from the universe. When you meet somebody and you go, I hate that person. Your gut says, Don't talk to them. That is your godhood, not God. If that is your, that's your essence of being. It's not from being an animal. It's from being a spirit, a spirit saying, You know, I should probably get to know that person business wise, but I don't feel well. Now get out,

spk_0:   33:13
Get out! I always thought out, Yeah, I always tell my wife and just people to go with that gut feeling.

spk_1:   33:20
No, Bette Davis said. My favorites, she said. I never took a role for the money. I took it because my heart told me to take it for the art. When I turn around, the big paycheck was there. You do it for the you do it for the roses. You don't you don't do it for the

spk_0:   33:36
gold. When you asked me about the podcast and you said, How do we make money from it like I didn't have a real like a really answer right, I have a sponsor, right? But I'm doing this because I have a calling And and I think that's all there is in life, right? That's the way we have to do things. Because when we put the money in front of everything, it never turns out the way we wanted to.

spk_1:   33:58
You know, everything I learned is a heaven and hell decision Black and White Ying and Yang in and out Fung shway in tied, tied in tide out is either black or white. You're either going toe. You either got this is really sounds corny said get ready. You're either gonna worship the golden calf. They're gonna worship your heart when you work of the golden calf EU will get a look at all the people on the planet that are really rich and treat people like shit They'll get it because their souls will get back on them. God, universe doesn't take care of them. You'll take care of yourself because you know you did the wrong thing for sure you don't you don't you do it for the roses For the smell of the roses For the gift of the roses You don't do it for a dime, because when you do it for the roses, you'll get that money will come. The money comes when you do it for your life.

spk_0:   34:57
It's so cliche to say, But it's so fucking true.

spk_1:   35:00
It's cliche. Bingo. Will that make a lot of money that don't do it for that wants you to believe it's wrong?

spk_0:   35:05
Of course. And they're full of shit. They are. They're full of shit.

spk_1:   35:07
Look, I mean, I don't mention people because I don't know, But look, it really, really rich, rich people that, like one of my two of my Here's their Bill Gates and Buffett, like sitting around McDonald's thinking about. They're sitting around the McDonald's, thinking about how we're gonna get toilets flushing

spk_0:   35:26
up. You saw decoding Belgacom. It's so far. Got shit. Yes, yes, and

spk_1:   35:31
his wife, Bill Gates, wife is fucking beautiful and brilliant. Well, I told Bill that death toilets have to have a door because she thought of the woman sitting. Of course, that's brilliance talking about, you know, oil and stocks and stuff. That's all great. And we need all that

spk_0:   35:48
course. But that shouldn't be your heart. No, no, and I and I love what Bill Gates is doing. Ah, and it's, uh Well, it's very commendable. And he's a special tea here. Yes, he is. He's very special. No. Ah,

spk_1:   36:03
Barbie was a special entity.

spk_0:   36:06
We're gonna We're gonna We're gonna get to him because I have got a lot of questions about that, but Okay, so I just wantto just kind of dial it back to your story. Uh, what were your parents like, your mother and father?

spk_1:   36:19
My dad was a beautiful six foot two, black haired, blue eyed jazz trumpeter that quick trumpeting when I was born. Because you want me to have a jazz trumpeter for a father,

spk_0:   36:31
which I killed for you and I went

spk_1:   36:34
blind in one eye and we won't have to go on welfare. So we ended up in a project on welfare because they fired him and he ended up being one of the top in the world technician trainers of major appliances. He taught himself he was brilliant. He was brilliant. He played with that. He played in every state, played with Billie Holiday, all the people, and shut our one. Once I said he didn't like it, I was in it for the music. I learned a lot about art from him because I said, Dad, come on. He said I wasn't there to get high. I was there to fucking play trumpet. He was brought. He taught me about art. My mom was a beautiful five foot two, very voluptuous Italian that never shut up. But wisdom, expounding all the time, taught me to be a sensitive. Taught me to be very care caring about people and taught me that when you see somebody, most people are sad. When you see that, make sure you find one thing on them that you like and say I love your earrings so they'll feel better. She was very that and they were both very sad. They probably shouldn't have had kids. They probably should have got married. But my mom said, Look, Brad, I was a 25 real Italian girl. I was old spinster, and I loved your dad. But after the blind, I was never good because we were just broke. Danny, listen.

spk_0:   37:55
Did they ever get out of it?

spk_1:   37:56
No, I got it. Good. Yeah, they never got out of it s o when I when I had a mission. You know, I said I could help them get out of it, and I did. Congratulations. They never really I got them all out of it. They had everything but was sad to see is that they never recovered from it. They were still like one time I went home, I love my dad and he was sitting there with his hands. And it's like worrying about something. You said, Dad, what could you possibly want? Yeah, I just got your car brought in this house. What? She's he said, Do you really? He was so But did you really want to know when I said I would? He said, I just don't know what shape to cut the hedges. And today on I went. That's what you're worried about. And then I thought he needs toe. Always worry, because that's how he did it. And I said, Dad, how about I buy you a new hedge Clipper? Better yet, I'll pay somebody that good. No, no, I want to do them. I just don't know what shape. And I thought when you're traumatized, like PTSD, you He grew up in an orphanage because if he grew up in an orphanage, him and his sister. And when you grow up like that, you even if you have everything, Yeah, you're not the Pete would said, Petey. What is

spk_0:   39:13
no PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder, baby. And they didn't talk about it back then. They didn't know they

spk_1:   39:19
both my mother and father both had at my mother because my mother grew up really poor and said my father had it really bad and they never but I got them out of his. Much as I could not buy gifts. I know. But by saying you are the best parents that I could possibly pick, they were like, What do you mean, pick? And I said I picked you to know what? Why don't you pick us? I said, Well, if you don't like yourselves, I love you. So it was about showing them by example that I don't I'm not really I can't help you if you don't love you. I do so much like all you know, my mother used to always say I said I went to her instead of a mother. So tell me what you feel guilty about. She looks out there. She said, Well, You know, I should have bought you that piano. I said, Ma, we didn't have food. And I said a matter of fact, when I start making that I bought a piano. I hated the fucking Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I said, if you want to feel guilty about it, have a ball with that. But you're released from me. So I tried to teach them by like I did with assistance at what I would have and people inclines. I would have not to say you shouldn't feel that way. But, you know, I don't look at you that way. Like something I felt sad for the bullies. Like I love my mother and father. They were like gods to me, but not to them, but not my business. But my business is to show them and to show clients and to show you and to show my assistance and to show my neighbors like I honor you in my life. And this corny as that sounds,

spk_0:   40:51
I respect that First off, you talk a little bit closer. I really I really did. I respect that so much. And you know everything that you just said looking at you the way that you face lit up about your parents. And even though you grew up in a rough part and even though you were picked on even though you had all of these things, um, you know, pointed against you, you turned it into a positive. And you look at the positive side of your parents. You look at the positive side of every situation that we've talked about to this point, right?

spk_1:   41:24
It was pointed. It sounds ridiculous, but it was really tough, but it was pointed for me. Wow. What if I had two parents that didn't like didn't like hairdressers would about like my father and mother were so artistic like they loved everything. The artistic that we did? What if I but I chose them? I feel because they let me do it. I needed to do so. They started

spk_0:   41:51
right now. I love that Billy. I wish I was listening to some about Billy Alicia and her parents. They had a rule right when she was younger. Uh, that went her and her brother Phinnaeus were making using. They couldn't tell him to go to bed, right? There was no bedtime as long as they're making music, right? And so, um, they fostered this mindset of, uh, just follow your passion, Follow what you truly love. And so for your parents to be supportive even, you know, growing up in the projects like I find that amazing and and allowed you to be the best person that you could be.

spk_1:   42:27
But that was their gift. And that was my gift from them and my grandmother, who was my favorite favorite favorite. She was my mom's mom, and she had it tough. But she made her household into art. And this is how I knew she was so supportive of me Saturday so we wouldn't get beat up. Me and my brother, we would go to my grandma's house and it would be we could pick any dessert we wanted to bake because I loved the chemistry of it. And one time I said, Grandma, I think I want to make taffy, but not red. I want to make it blue. And she looked when she went Mmm. It's always read, you know, and I said, I know it is, but I want to make it blew in my sister. All my other siblings were like, Yeah, because there was always a leader and my grandma said, Let's do it So it was not about no, no, she said, Let's do it And we made this beautiful blue taffy. We didn't need it. But it was about her saying, I'm protecting youth on Saturday night. Your creativity is gonna flourish, even if you want to do something nobody ever did. And that's why did Chungking

spk_0:   43:33
Oh, my gosh.

spk_1:   43:35
It was about this sacred feminine saying, Yeah, we're gonna talk. Yes, yes, she always did that. And later on I asked her, and I said, Why were you wanted to do that? And she went well, why wouldn't I? And I said, because it wasn't the right thing to do, she said, I never I never listen. People isn't listen and pay attention to my kids and grandkids. No other grandmothers don't do that, she said. Yes, I do. I said nothing. So they're a maverick nous of being so incredible. They just thought everybody was nice. I said, You don't know the parents. I saw brutalization.

spk_0:   44:12
My grandmother used to beat me with wooden spin, bless her heart, and she did a lot of good But she also I didn't have that type of fostering mentality, right? Neither one of them. So it's like

spk_1:   44:23
I wish they would have some slaps you out of it, But, you know, But

spk_0:   44:28
it doesn't work. It doesn't work because you

spk_1:   44:30
know why? Because when I was growing up in the project, those kids were, yeah, brutalized and I'd be like I'd be like Mom, you'll never do that She said. I can't even I can't even explain. She was so upset about it. Her, my dad and my dad was brutalized in the in the home because they would beat him up and run away. They'd be And he said,

spk_0:   44:51
It doesn't it doesn't work. It doesn't. You

spk_1:   44:54
know, there's other, There's better ways, you know? That's but that's the black. There's black and white choice. That's the black choice, of course, the white choices saying, Let's talk about what you just before I hit you.

spk_0:   45:03
Yes, it's so true. It's so it's but it's but but but it's it's so true. We're talking about my dad earlier and you know, that was a knish, you right, and it was something that I had to deal with. It didn't make him a bad man. He was flawed and he suffered PTSD. And I understand a lot of these things, you know, that he went through. But it doesn't work. It never works. But you

spk_1:   45:26
know what really works for that? And this is gonna sound really corny, though

spk_0:   45:30
You keep on saying that, but it never is

spk_1:   45:32
really worse. You forgive them, for they know not what they did. And that will free you if you hold that grudge that will be on your back like this for life. Like I had a lot of things happened to me. And there is not one person that I don't love, corny as that sounds And there's definitely no I forgave everything because I forgive them cause I always heard forgive. They don't know they're not. They don't really know that they're hurting you. They would hurt anybody, and I will go. So it's not personal. No, it's

spk_0:   46:09
not. That's just how

spk_1:   46:10
they are. Forgive them and let them go. Then you like. If you forget. I don't know. It's not my business, but like if my like, nobody hit me, my grandparents on their way. But if somebody would like I saw people. And I would say your dad was probably hit, so yeah, I don't I'm not saying he did the right thing. I'm saying for your freedom, you forgive him because he didn't mean it. He did not mean it. No, he was just in the moment of his

spk_0:   46:37
of course sadness. But it's it's so true. And like maybe some people listening right there, they don't understand, right? Because they were abused or this that and the other. But I see these people where you know, their daughter was just killed and they're on trial. And the mother is forgiving the person that killed their daughter.

spk_1:   46:57
I would, I would. Because when you see her do that, how do you don't you die? You go. Oh, my God, that's so incredible that she she opens the planet. Yes, by forgiving the person cause the person didn't mean to do it. Why would somebody mean to kill somebody if they didn't come out of a dysfunctional sadness or fear or so sad? No. Nobody hits. Nobody hurts anybody unless they're hurt. Of course. Morning, is that?

spk_0:   47:24
No, But it's true. I'm sure we

spk_1:   47:26
are a product around Absolutely. You don't like? I was never hit. So when they hit me, I was like, I wouldn't even know how to punch them. And I don't want to know. Yeah. Do you see? What I'm saying is, if you're not hit, how do you know how to hit? You wouldn't want to.

spk_0:   47:43
You're absolutely correct, right? Because when we come out and weird little babies, right, we're sponges. Right? So how

spk_1:   47:50
you're born out of love. You don't have any of that in there, right?

spk_0:   47:53
Absolutely. So it's like, uh, if you grew up and you see these things, then it just kind of stacks up, stacks up, stacks up or if you're hit. Yeah, well, that was your

spk_1:   48:02
where you go. What is that feeling? I'm gonna go get rid of it by hitting my animal. When they burned those cats, I was like, Why would you I want a pet a cat? Because they were burnt.

spk_0:   48:14
Yeah. Did you see that? Netflix ing don't fuck with cats? No, you gotta watch it. Well, it's a whole another talking, but just just watch it. Um, all right. So I wantto save one thing. There's one thing that your Dad said he's like, I only did hair on one time. Um, respect Like like fucking respect. And he knew that it was. Well, one day, I just I respect the fact that he was open about it. He

spk_1:   48:40
was already who's always open.

spk_0:   48:41
I've done hair with a whole bunch of times in my life, and it fucked me up for a long period of time, right? And especially after my father died and in my addiction just ran frickin rampant. And I didn't understand a way out. And I'm open about it, because if we're not open about these things work, it's gonna hold it inside. And, uh, you know, for me here changed my entire life because it gave me purpose. Um, your father talking about that? It just I don't know. It struck 1/4. Maybe because, although, uh, not Although I'm very happy that it didn't take him elsewhere, he was open to you about it.

spk_1:   49:18
Well, he taught me. He taught me in that one sentence that if you have an artistic mission, nothing gets in the way of tea set. Unfortunately, Chet was my favorite baker. Yeah, but he let the speedball getting getting the trumpet. I never did that. So my father taught me that if you have a mission, he didn't do it by saying mission. Do you know what the hell mission was? He said if you he was like, Well, I didn't like the way you felt, because I want to play. He said what I did do is those Benzedrine inhalers, because that was speed. But you by that was that was to put a nose. But I didn't need those either, because I play it all night because it was what I was supposed to do. And and then I thought, Wait a minute. So if you have a mission, nothing gets in the way of it. And he taught me that. And my and my dad was up there creating, even though refusing, even though he was brutalized, because that did not get in the way of his mission.

spk_0:   50:15
When did he start having these conversations with you

spk_1:   50:17
forever? My little. He was all I was his best friend. Well, he was about who we were best friends. My mom was like, What the hell are you two talking about? Not go. You won't understand me. and Harper talk, and he never bothered us, but we should. My mother taught me, taught me a lot about how to be a sensitive, like we would go partisan should say, See that lady over there like, What do you think about her? And I go Well, I think she's really sad and a bunch of go what out? And it was interesting that say, Why do you want me to know that? She said, Because you should know how people feel, and you should try to help them feel better, whatever way you can go. But like why? You know that compliment thing. And then with hair, I made people feel good. I always said when I did hair color, my goal was to make you feel better first and look better. Second, because it it's icing. But if you tasted, it's sweet, but if you don't it's still pretty. But it's better when you taste it. Tasting It is how you feel about

spk_0:   51:14
it. Did you have this same type of relationship with your siblings?

spk_1:   51:19
I did. I love my brother and sister. My sisters, my mentor. Let me go! My mentor. Yeah, whatever. Whenever I'm going through shit out. I'll give you a real crystal went I had I had a lot of properties and I was crazy running from back and forth and taking care of the little and one time I was really upset that housekeeper like, lost one of my towels. I was really just, you know, crazy because I'm very neat. And when I called my sister, I told those stories and my sister said, Very spiritual. She said, Brad, I understand what you're going through, but unfortunately, they're not my towels. I went fucking shit. That's brilliant. Oh, right there she went. First of all, what she meant was, First of all, you shouldn't really upset about towels. Second, about forgive the housekeeper, for she knows not what she did. And third of all, I don't really know what you're going through because they're not my towels. It was like a major Strat. A lot said from the okay, and that was it. So I'll call her up and I'll say something like Bubba Bubba ancho chili Go a one line answer and you'll go off just brilliant. But I call it my mental. She thinks

spk_0:   52:27
I'm crazy. Is she older? than you

spk_1:   52:30
know. She's six years younger, and when my mom had her, we were really It was a bad time for the family. And my mom and I were friends, and I loved my mom. Bitch, She wasn't supposed to have another kid, so she came up. She said, You know, I'm I'm pregnant and I said, Well, okay, I'd like to have a sister. She says, Yeah, but we can't afford it. And it was such a sad time and I said, It's okay, I I think, and I heard heard that if somebody comes to you, they're supposed to be there. And I just sort of knew that. And my sister was born. My mom is so like I said she couldn't even name her and she said, You have

spk_0:   53:13
to name or I can't even do it. So you came out

spk_1:   53:15
so they took me out of school. I went up to the hospital and I said, Name her Sherry after Sherry Lewis.

spk_0:   53:20
It's my mom's name

spk_1:   53:22
S h A R I

spk_0:   53:23
C h. But yeah,

spk_1:   53:24
name after after my mother said I can't name or Louis. So I named my sister after my favorite person Sherry Lewis. And I really feel that I asked her to

spk_0:   53:33
come here for me as we mentioned your mental, right? She doesn't leave crazy. Well, mentors usually don't. OK, so we're going to speed it up a bit. So on when you decided

spk_1:   53:46
I want to tell you that. Well, just stuff with spirituals stuff. You know what I learned in my dad and mom always taught me to be so cool and hip. But you know what I learned? Sadness looks cool, but spirituality is hip. Fuck, yes. You name tech savvy school, like, you know, strung out. I mean, I was addicted. Everything you could imagine, Barbara to its hair, everything. And it was cool, but I was so sad, but spiritually, I still get sad, but spiritually is really hip. And the people that were hip were really sad. So they told you it was You know,

spk_0:   54:20
I totally know. My

spk_1:   54:21
mom and dad were very spiritual and very hip.

spk_0:   54:24
I like that. I like that. I love the way that you speak about your parents and you mean it Not bullshitting me. You're not bullshitting me about by any means. Okay, so we've kind of talked about, You know, like growing up in the projects and just your parents. And I

spk_1:   54:43
don't want anybody or you to think that I'm This is a pity party, this thing, this I victor word. And this was meant to be because it brought me

spk_0:   54:53
to hear Exactly. And so you're not? I think that once and anyone listen, if they do well, they're dumb.

spk_1:   54:59
Sorry. There's a lot of people out there that don't go to beauty school because they're too sad. You know what I say? Go be sad and go.

spk_0:   55:09
Yeah, yeah. And you did your

spk_1:   55:10
get your sadness. Get your fear and get your addiction and put it in the box and get out the fucking door. Yes, go out the door because nobody's knocking on your door knowing this thing. Encyclopedias are not sold anymore. No, they're not gonna get out the door. What do you use that sadness like? Use that sadness to create a green hair color. Use that fear to fucking do an asymmetrical cut. Use it. Don't let it kill you.

spk_0:   55:39
So what I'm really happy about is that we have kind of established this. You're kind of your young life, right? And I know there's bits and pieces for sure we left out was right. But it sets it up to then start to build into your college and and the beauty school or almond the life that you've now been able to build for yourself on when you decided to go toe cosmetology school, right? How old are you? 17. So you're 17 years old? Uh, do you remember what that was like? The first day

spk_1:   56:14
it was found, I it was what i her I felt that this was what I was meant to do here. So let's go. It was never a doubt, and I never I learned how to go. So where because I learned how to cut hair. But when a tame tame came time for clinic in a clinic, I was like, I went all the color. I don't want any the haircuts because it was kind of simple to come here. Okay. For me, it is a mathematical and simple and great art, but not what I came here to do. And all the kids like Why the fuck do you want to do color ago? Why would you wanna hear Cut hair, so I know how to cut here. And I love doing it. But care cuts or the cake color is the icing. I like icing.

spk_0:   56:58
Okay, Right. Where's the blow Dry?

spk_1:   57:00
The blow dry is part of the blow Dry is, um probably the bolo ties. Probably. I don't know where the blood

spk_0:   57:09
is. The delivery of the Yes, There

spk_1:   57:12
is some of the ads in there somewhere because that's an art.

spk_0:   57:14
Yes, I couldn t o um Okay, So who you were like? N y u right. But then you're like, no cosmetology school. What the fuck? Like, who was like, Yeah, you should do this.

spk_1:   57:28
No, my friend, my friend and girlfriend of the time, Vivian, who's my soul mate. She she said, You know, we were living together in college and we were living together, and I said, I have to go back home to Pittsburgh because I don't have any money. She said, you have to go to beauty school. And I said Why? I told you why everybody is not due here. And she said, No, they don't. I'll bring you there if you like. You know? And then with the first day, I knew it. I stayed and she paid every day for

spk_0:   57:54
me. Actually, we shall go into school. Is

spk_1:   57:57
it? And why you? For acting. But I met her and I said live. I'll make you a deal. I said I will do. Then she switched to some She twisted dramatic literature. And I'm not dumb s o. I said, You know what you pay for beauty school and I will get you a degree. So she has a dramatic literature bachelor. And while you that I did all the paper is

spk_0:   58:15
nice and she paid for beauty school. That's a good friend. You guys are both good. She's a soul mate. Yeah, for sure.

spk_1:   58:22
So then So then, Then the first job I got was it's in Andhra, which was a 500 day a client a day thing. And I was an assistant to eight people, and I loved being an assistant. I ate people and one of my one of the other systems was Adam Broderick was very famous now, so me and him were the assistant there. And here I was making a lot of mistakes, and he was my mentor there, and we were way we took care of eight clients to did about 20 people each a day. So how many's out today? Waits 8 20 people a day. They 60. Yeah, me and him with the assistance for all that we love. So then because I was really good at it and I knew what I was doing and we would have classes in the owner, Andre, who was one of the best hair does have ever known, he said, We're putting on the floor tomorrow. I would know No, I don't want I want to be in a system forever. I love this. I love helping people. He said. No, no, you're gonna be really good I said, I really He said, No, you're on the floor tomorrow and I 15 perms and it was so easy, and from then on I was busy. I did. I did anywhere from 15 to 40 people a day.

spk_0:   59:32
How the fuck did you do that? 40 people

spk_1:   59:34
I do that is insane, that it's what I do.

spk_0:   59:37
How do you spread so much love to 40 people?

spk_1:   59:40
Because that's what that's it's That's easy to d'oh because I want to make each for each person is a living canvas of mine. So I need to make sure when that campus is on the street that it's happy about my work and that I'm happy that it's on the

spk_0:   59:57
street. How old were you at this point when you went on the force? 17. 18. So you weren't even assisting for that long?

spk_1:   1:0:04
Most assistance back then. Assisted five years I was on. I was an assistant for, like, eight months. Yeah, I was like, No, no, no, you can't. But I was.

spk_0:   1:0:14
I did 2.5 years with Claudio Lazo at sea. This alone?

spk_1:   1:0:17
I wanted to be a system forever. I was making a lot of money. Then I'll never forget when I got my first cheque is an assistant. I went I could paid and the tips and then, you know, and I didn't do for the money. I was Bette Davis. I did it because I loved it.

spk_0:   1:0:33
And it's not pretty Call for you. OK, so you're doing all that. When did things Ruby start like take off for you? You know, you were 17 18 years old. New York, When did it all kind of shit?

spk_1:   1:0:46
I think probably 19 85. I became a Buddhist. I was, like, kind of floundering around and I became a Buddhist. And the Buddhism chant was I dedicate my life to the law of cause and effect, and I realized that you can only do things if you're the cause. Big deal. So and I thought, Wait a minute. So I was doing a lot of drugs in and I thought, you know, I could either be a really great drug addict or really, really important hair colorist, but drugs I could always do Later, I'm gonna do this hair color thing. So became a Buddhist, became macrobiotic, became a bodybuilder. And I left that salon and I heard that Bruno to Salinger's opening up. And I was making 65% at this line. That was very busy. Always really busy, making 65% no deductions. Okay. I was doing really great, always had money, never worried about money. But the day I got to New York, the universe gave me money because I was there for a mission. So anyway, so Bruno dishonors opening up, and I heard you know, you should go there. So I went up to talk to him. A couple of my other friends were going. We were like a team and I said to Brunei separate. I really think I'm supposed to work here. He said You could mark here, but I'll give you 45% say I'll take it He went, No, I'm only going to give you 40. I said, I'll take it He said, What I said because I'm so still work here. I'll take it. Took it. But by taking it he gave me every single new person because he was getting a bigger percentage. Yes, and he would. And then within a year I was back up to 65 I was the color director because I let him when you is not a lot, a lot of

spk_0:   1:2:37
that's key, right? Not a

spk_1:   1:2:38
lot of great a bit. There's a lot of bullshit about winning.

spk_0:   1:2:42
Yeah, but you allowed him to win, allowed youto win

spk_1:   1:2:46
No heat. No, I won because of

spk_0:   1:2:48
course I wasn't greedy, But that really doesn't work. But so many people just going through life. I But

spk_1:   1:2:55
I didn't I didn't worship the golden calf. You did worse. If the art so when he was all that, everybody was going there. Everybody on. I said, I want to do these people. These all need good hair color. I'll take 45% he said. No, you don't understand. Like I'm giving you 20% less. I said, That's okay. Oh, I'll be

spk_0:   1:3:14
fine. He was flabbergasted. He

spk_1:   1:3:16
was. So he was so enamored that I would take that cause a lot less. Of course, I was bringing in 10,000, 20,000 week. It's a lot last

spk_0:   1:3:26
a lot

spk_1:   1:3:26
to me. I was going to get so much more, and if I didn't then I go somewhere else. But I never went for the money. So I was so, so busy. Then and then we heard that orbit was opening up and I was back then I had a team of me and two of my friends. We were a great team, and we and I said, I think we're sister go there and I'll never forget because I loved or Bay's work and he loved my work, but we didn't meet each other. Okay, so I just developing the Chungking technique. That last salon Bruna, Tesanj and I was developing unite. It was it was very difficult to develop because nobody was doing big chunks, and it was very tricky to do.

spk_0:   1:4:07
Why? Why? Because I wanted to.

spk_1:   1:4:09
Because everybody was doing frosting, which a little teeny angel hair woven billions is Cappellini. I hated that. I thought it looked ridiculous. Yes, cap frosting on it. And I said, My goal is to make women look like Children of the beach because that's the best hair colors, Children. The beach. Yes. So I see. How am I gonna do that? And I would follow kids around. The mothers would say, What do you following my child around for now? You're not gonna believe this. I'm a hair color. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So anyway, so I mean, I would study them. I would see that they were chunky in the front and chunky here, there. And I said, I'm gonna make people look that way So but testing it out was very difficult because none of the companies were behind me because they were like that frostings there. And I was like, frostings on a cake is ahead of I went, So I was very divided, tried on my friends and and clients little by little. And then I perfected it. Okay, But I wasn't doing it yet. And when I met with or by I said, you know what? I'm my The voice told me, You know, you have to tell or bay that you can't do frostings in a salon. I saw I'm gonna He's not gonna hire me. So he's the voice said, Well, no fuck back, Okay? So I'm sitting there in orbit is right here. He's so handsome. I didn't look that bad. We're talking till then I said, Okay, Orbit. I have to talk to you. And he said, Brad, I have to talk to you too. I don't want any frost things on my Yes, and I went What? I went I got like, I got like, this kind of like, kind of Yeah, that feeling. And I went, Wait a minute, I said, Who told you to say that? He said, Brad, look, I don't want those Cappellini Cappellini frostings in my salon. I don't want ashy hair. I want I don't want it And I said, Or bay I just developed a technique of, of, of about And he said, It's what He always said genius, That sounds genius. And I went and I said, we're going to start doing this somebody up. So I designed his whole color. At the time Frederick wanted me to fuck. Yeah, Frederick, I designed his color Roman or bays, And they both were gonna hire me for a lot of money because I had a big clientele and everybody knew I was an artist. So I said to the universe, I said, So what's one am I gonna go to in the universe Said, which one can you be an artist? And I went Okay. Got so then I will not pick Torbay and then because Frederik wasn't great, but Orbit was more of an artist. And Fred, it was very sweet and very nice. And, um, And when we designed our base color room and that song was beautiful and we start doing a nice start doing Chungking on everybody on my client's think it was coming out. Really? If I like it, it's good because I don't like anything. But it was time to do. He did everybody all the accident. Yes, And I said, Do not give me models and actresses. I don't really have this down yet. And he said, Brad, this is me. I know what I'm doing So I went down. I never had lunch. It was very strange and never had lunch. I for some reason I went downstairs and I saw Christy Turlington, my favorite model, dancing around, and she looked like she was like she was like a fawn, like a beautiful fund. And I said to myself, If I'm ever gonna do Chungking on it, somebody famous, I'm gonna do it on Christine. I forgot about it. Went up stairs on back to work or big comes in. Ruin says. And Brad, I know you don't want to do models about. I have somebody and she's never colored her hair and she wants to do the chunks because she see you doing them on a lot of people. She wants to have them and I went, Who is? And she's He said, It's Christy Turlington. I did. She's he goes, What are you talking about? So you brought He didn't know. Was that so? He brought her in. I did my first set of chunks on her clear All hired me. We had the first ad. It's a broad chunks by Brow. John's by Kristen with Christy Turlington. So then that started.

spk_0:   1:8:03
Changed everything that's everything changed color changed color for people that are listening. Can you please explain what chunks are and like, who would have had it back then? And yeah,

spk_1:   1:8:11
well, the Chungking is a method of highlighting here, where you take big rather than weaving it to finally like spaghetti. Like Cappellini, you weave chunks in and out for when one Foyle might have two chunks, four chunks, six junks, chunkier around the front, going to darkness and back like the way the sun would do it, because I want a child of the beach chunks and but with Tricky is about it is root line blending how long believe it on. And I always did. I took every highlight I did. I did in 10 15 minutes because I may. I designed a technique where I started in the front, added different things. So they all came out the same when I was done, because I went always the back look darker anyway, so the Chungking thing. So that was a method that I didn't do it on everybody because I could do any kind of color, but all the models and all the hip after says they were all wanted to, of course. So then it really took off. It was so exciting because I was on, like, 40 TV shows all about this technique and, um, it looked it looked It looked really good. Everybody had it changed. Hair changed him because now it was, and they did it. It was really nice because Vogue did a six page article on me and Orlando. Peter did the hair and I did the hair color and it was a quote from me in two pages each back then each page in vogue with $60,000 they took two pages for me And put Brow. John says Natural is not the point. Fabulous is on. I was I cried.

spk_0:   1:9:44
I know that must have felt just fucking lost it, did you?

spk_1:   1:9:48
Because, like, I was like, they spent $120,000 unquote. But then I knew that it was part of the

spk_0:   1:9:54
mission. Yeah, that's that's that is just insane. Anyone that is listening to this whatever career that you are in, you have outliers, right? And you have people that just changed the course of any industry in for you at that moment. I mean, every fucking actress and every actress at at that point in what, The late eighties early nineties. What would you say? Everyone. Everyone. Right. What does that feel like? Just I mean, for you,

spk_1:   1:10:28
It it was It was just the right. It was the right way for them to look. So it wasn't about me patting myself on the battle, but I was delivering the system that they needed to look right.

spk_0:   1:10:40
But But now, looking back,

spk_1:   1:10:42
I don't really I don't. You

spk_0:   1:10:44
should be proud of your Sam

spk_1:   1:10:45
Proud. I am proud. I'm more proud. This is what I'm I'm not. I'm not proud of creating chunks because that was a gift from out there was given to me to act like Like I mean, I don't wantto compare myself to artists, but Michelangelo when he did David, did you hear that? Story s so when there was a block of marble. And when he finished David, they said, How did you know? How did you do that? And he said, Well, he was in there. I just took the stone away. So I did the chunks because it was supposed to happen because of her. Saatchi's clothes were all chunks. All the clothes were chunks. Everything. So I was part of that. So what I'm proud about is most colorist. Do not train their assistance. Well, my goal when I learned and made lots of money and fame on the Chungking was okay. Now I'm giving it away, okay? And I trained Rita Hayes on a train car White. I trained everybody to do chunks and they made all made more money than me. So it's about it needs to be done. I got it. Yeah, I do it. They like it. I get rewarded by smiles more than money and money so I could buy my parents stuff who supported so I could do my being my parent stuff because they supported me to get to do this. But now they I'm I'm not retired. I just don't work right now. But they are all took the Chungking method. They might not do it still, but they learned that they got their own technique. That's where heads about doing that. If you don't teach them, then the gift wasn't propelled.

spk_0:   1:12:27
It wasn't wrapped. Anyone that goes to cause untold you school now when they learn how to, But they don't really learn how to do, you know, highlights. But when they, uh when they're practicing, it's I mean, come on,

spk_1:   1:12:36
if it has anything to do with big highlights because and I'll never forget When I when I was developing the technique, I was at a salon. That wasn't really great. The boss came over. He said, Brad, you know, you're gonna have you're gonna really lose all your clients. You cannot make people chunky and golden. And I went, You know what? I under I appreciate you because you're my boss. But I don't believe you because I believe I'm doing the right thing for the planet. He was like, Okay on then P s down the road. I think you should even says I have to put us down the road. He ended up being my distributor and I bought color from him. That's crazy, right? But and I never I never said no, I I'm so glad to see you again. I always thank you so much would give me such an opportunity to develop Chungking. I'm so glad you I never don't do them. I just don't Don't do that.

spk_0:   1:13:30
No, of course not. But I

spk_1:   1:13:32
wanted to, but I heard Well, yeah, but he

spk_0:   1:13:37
got What, are you gonna get out of that? Okay, so we're gonna die back. It's all right. Working with orb A developing. All of that. What was that experience like?

spk_1:   1:13:49
Another thing to orbit was access to all the stuff that he did. We knew what we knew. We were brothers. We knew that we were doing something that was going to change the course of hairdressing. So we just did it. We didn't question it. We didn't say. Aren't we great? We never did that. We would say or bay the work you did today was fucking beautiful. Yes, God way Never. And it's a bread and the color You did not go. I didn't. And we never were always improving. When you get full of yourself and think that you are God's gift to whatever world you're in, you're constipated. You needed You need a flaccid

spk_0:   1:14:32
an animal, man, You d'oh! And

spk_1:   1:14:34
the enema is I couldn't did that. But I When I had the day that I left the day that I left New York. Those clients I did, there was one client. I said I still should have did that different Better because it's my it's they're paying for my, aren't I? What's it called? I really I I honor that.

spk_0:   1:14:55
Yeah, you should have to leave. So

spk_1:   1:14:57
and I honor them as people.

spk_0:   1:15:00
So, uh, so

spk_1:   1:15:01
or bay was just e I learned generosity for more bay. I was a little bit, um, not selfish. I was a little bit scared, because the way I grew up in orbit was like, just show everybody everything just And when I die, I will never forget when it because somebody built me a $7 million salon on Fifth Avenue, three floor and and I was a door bathe in it. I didn't know how to tell him I was, but it was time for me to go. What did he say? I just How the hell am I gonna tell my brother? And I said or be? I don't know how to tell you this, but somebody went to build me a $7 million salon and he went, go just yes, you enjoy it? You worked harbor. And I went, Yeah, I went, I said, And I absorbed that. So then later on, I did it with Rita. I was like, Go or you know, when people come on leaving tonight go. Good luck if you need my help. Or Bai taught me to be generous because this is not a dress rehearsal, and you're going to die someday. And you give it all fucking

spk_0:   1:16:04
away. Yes! Yeah. Don't keep it all in. And I know you want to just keep

spk_1:   1:16:09
you're gonna put in share. Or are you gonna put it exactly? Exactly. I don't want to walk around full of

spk_0:   1:16:14
shit. No. And you know that old saying is like when you die, you can't take it with you,

spk_1:   1:16:17
right? When I dive there, all they all have it.

spk_0:   1:16:20
And I love that You said that. You know, the one of the great things that you've done is giving his

spk_1:   1:16:25
probation army generosity. That's awesome. Olive. Or based people. He taught Danilo Jimmy pawl. He was like he gave them endlessly. And when he couldn't do a shooting, he didn't say, Don't give it to them. He said, give him, All of them.

spk_0:   1:16:37
Anyone who doesn't know or babe, why don't you?

spk_1:   1:16:39
Jor Bay was probably top hairdresser of the century. He was Cuban, beautiful, handsome and so intelligent. He wanted everybody to look fucking sexy. He was just going. He brought in those big red Velcro rollers nobody was using. Everybody was walking around with rollers, all the celebrities and all the young girls, and he wasn't there. But it looked like Bridget Bardo, Sophia Loren and dealer because they're fucking sexy. I don't know. When grunge came in, we were so depressed. Way have to get through this. I know. I was doing Kate Ma. I made Kate Moss blonde. Then I was doing Johnny Depp then and it was fun. The grandest thing with or base. I can't wait to use my rollers again. And I said I'm either I can't because then I had a revert back to little highlights, you know, or what? I started doing them. There was no highlighting, making them all one light color, which was fun for or bay that grunge thing. He I said orbits could be out soon. So then it came back out there, but we went we were brothers. When he died, I was devastated. It was, but he lived. He taught me howto live and be generous and just go fucking do it because it's all we got. Yeah, you He lived. He'd never heard anybody. He never hurt any buddy in his life.

spk_0:   1:17:54
That letter or Bay was fucking iconic, you know? And

spk_1:   1:17:59
the product line he left does is brilliant. He had a little bit to do with it. Not all the back, but it has. I could when that's my son had that smell. When I say my apartment, he's he's he was He was a shining star that came here to enlighten the planet. And he left

spk_0:   1:18:16
way too early That way to her, He was done. He waas he wants us. I love how we've just kind of gone through this from from, you know, growing up to where you went through a lot. But your parents were such a huge impact on your life. And still, even to this day, um, you know, even to the point of like deciding that 17 years old to not go to N y u to then go to cosmetology score, which is just for most people listening. Like what the fuck you made to end with you. It's like the Catalan Catalina wine mixer. Right? Um, you know, to Vivian giving you an opportunity to free and pay for your stuff, but, uh, for cosmetology school. But, you know, I'm gonna help you do this, right. Uh,

spk_1:   1:18:58
but when you're on a mission and you follow it, you're given guide or guides Angel's court to help you. You know, one of the reasons that I did go to beauty school was when I was in high school and I was graduated 22 out of 400. And I said to my guidance counselor, who was another gift to me, my mother's and my guidance count. I think it was an alien. That's a fact. And I said, Mister Vito, how am I gonna tell my parents we live in the project, that I want to be an actor? What if I don't make it? I could be any. There could be a doctor. I wasn't that smart to be a dark, but I could have been anything could have. And I said She said, you have to talk to them and I was gonna tell them, so I went home in there. But I have to both tell you something. They were, like, always expecting the worst. I said, I think I'm gonna do acting. And they were, like, go for it. And I went Why? And it was that Brad War on welfare. You could only do better than us. And if you follow your dream, you'll make it. We have. We believe in you. You'll be a famous actor. And I would've been

spk_0:   1:19:59
there You would have

spk_1:   1:20:00
if I was meant to do that. And they said, We're behind you no matter what you do. And if you don't make it, you can come home.

spk_0:   1:20:08
I love that. Yeah, I fucking that you come

spk_1:   1:20:11
home. And when the AIDS epidemic started, I'll never forget. I'm negative and healthy. Most of my lot of my friends and boyfriends or dead, I'm negative and healthy. It was a gift. Um, and I blame it on the mission, and I was never a runaround, but that's another story. Um, my mom, when she heard that aids started, she called me and she said that your mother, which was not a good when she said. It's your mother. It's your mother. See what? Mama, When you get that, you're coming home and I went get what should you know? Get it? When you get that you're coming in this house and I'm taking care of you two, you're better And I went, I'm not going to get it She said. Brad, I don't talk about it when you get it. If you get it when you get it, you're coming home and I'm taking care of. You'll be fine That right there I'm not saying Don't fuck around, Don't be Oh, she said. When and if you're back home with me, that's that's huge. That's a big deal. That's with my best friend in. Pittsburgh's parents buried him in San Francisco because they were embarrassed. My mother was grandmother when she heard that she wrote a poem about him. How bad it Parents were nice to Grandma. How did you know we're gay? My grandmother said. What do you think I'm blind? So there were. My parents and grammars were so they were gifts. They were gifts and yours were too. You haven't quite got the gift

spk_0:   1:21:33
yet, but you'll get it in time in time, growing up and going through the AIDS epidemic. What was that like? Was that was that hard? I mean, he must have lost friends

spk_1:   1:21:45
and and since I've been through so much trauma, my, my and her voice stepped in and said, OK, now there is an epidemic and we have a mission to be a successful hair colorists. So we aren't going to drink. We're not going to do drugs. We're not gonna have sex. We're not going to bars or not drinking out of cups. We're going to work out the gym, go home workout at the gym at four in the morning, go work, do for declines and go home for And I was studying Romm for then so would study romp that night. Get up. I didn't kiss anybody for three years. Then they found out how you got it. And then we were able to at least go and drink out of a glass. So But all my friends and most of my boyfriends died, and that was about the The feeling was, you can't be. You cannot be fearful or sad like you like you weren't when they were trying to beat you up. You must Victor through this and help the people that are getting it. So my mission was all it was so horrible. I get home from work and my friend con se Brad, can I take you out? There's enough to talk to you. And I knew this is like 40 people, and every time I go, you'll be fine. Don't worry about it. They're gonna find a cure to be there, to be present and to say I'm there for you, no matter what happens. And you know what? I'm sure you'll be fine. But if you don't, if you're not fine, you're gonna only go to a better place. In other words, like you're not human, this too shall pass one way or the other. But I wasn't gonna

spk_0:   1:23:24
get it. Yeah, that I wasn't

spk_1:   1:23:26
getting it. It was like I was getting in den y. You

spk_0:   1:23:28
that that had to be so hard though

spk_1:   1:23:31
there was there was one place I worked that we place actually closed because everybody died. But me? Yeah, it was You could you can't imagine because I thought well, but you know what? Coming from the project. I thought You know what? This isn't stopping my mission. I just won't ever have sex again. And I will never be with anybody. But I will continue my mission if you a fuckup. If you if you come here for a mission. Most people Victor through it. Churchill. Ah, a lot of them. I look at all people. I'm not saying I'm like Churchill, but I'm saying we're more bay. I'm saying when you have a mission, Danilo, who does Gwen Stefani. He had his own incredible way of doing here. I love him and he he he did that fucking hair do in war of, uh, escaped from, Ah, Mars Attack? Yeah. I mean, that's a mission. Nobody stopped them. Nobody stopped door, but nobody stopped me. Nobody stops you if you listen to your missions. Listen to your missions advice?

spk_0:   1:24:38
Yeah, but you know, going through that experience in that time in your life, in a lot of other people's lives, I just can't even imagine 40 people in such a short period of time getting to a point where, like, you know exactly what they're gonna tell you right now, because it's it's fucking brutal.

spk_1:   1:24:56
And, you know probably the worst one was I had a best friend in high school named Jeff, and he taught me about art, you know, he taught me about then go because he was wealthy and I wasn't how to look at art. And he taught me about how to be an artist. And he was one of the first people to get it. And when he got it, he was acting so weird. I said, Jeff, you know, I don't know what's wrong with you, but I can't be your friend anymore. I don't know what What is wrong with you? Like you're calling me in the middle of the night here. I mean, he was acting so weird. It was I didn't know he was sick and and I'll never forget. I was in my bedroom and his boyfriend, Vito Russo, the famous activist, called and said Jeff died. I was devastated. I walked around New York for four days with sunglasses on because I thought that was the last time I was ever mad at anybody. Because I was I didn't know, but I I didn't know. But if I wasn't mad at him, I know it's the boyfriend said. Jeff's just wanted, you know, you were the only person who ever loved. I was devastated, but I never His death taught me. You don't do that. Even if I have arguments with friends, which is very rare. I'm usually the one that will say, You know what? I'm so fucking sorry. I'm an asshole. Let's be friends and they're always there. Go home. So glad it's evolving. The bigger the person that says I'm sorry. First is the mission

spk_0:   1:26:26
person. Of course, you're able to deflate your ego, and that's like an ongoing story I hear in your life. It's like, even though maybe someone's buildup deflect it built, you know, it's it's being that bigger person, being able to put your ego at the fucking door on. Dhe Sam, Sorry, because what is the point at the, you know, literally, at the end of all of this, what is the point?

spk_1:   1:26:46
But if you really because I would do, I would say, Wait a minute, let me finger what I really a mad about is something that I should forgive them for anyway. Then I would say, you know what? She didn't really mean to do that I'm going to forgive her because she didn't mean to do that. I want her to be my friend. I'm cool. Fucking Colin are. So it it opens up your heart to say I'm never talking to her again. How could she do that? And then the next thing say, Wait a minute. I don't She would've probably did that to anybody because she was in a bad space that day. So wait a minute, that wasn't personal. And But what? I'm going to forgive her because she didn't do that. I'm and I should be there for her, not be mad at her. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. I wasn't I have my own shit to I'm own shit dress and up. I'm embarrassed about it. Please forgive me, Of course. And then it hope it makes That's what you're one of my favorite people watched on TV. Joyce Meyers. She says Okay. You know, being on the earth, You know, oftentimes us artists feel like we're not home. I never feel home wherever I am. Unsure says this isn't home. This practice this is practice for giving her practice forgiving or bay practice. Trying to be nice to that person who can't be nice to you. This is practice. So if you practice if you're here for the practice, you can hate anybody and you can't even like it. Reclines? Like, how could you do that? Client, You know, she left you once I went. Yeah, but

spk_0:   1:28:19
that, of course, yes. You have to let all That's not important. No, it's not. It's not. And we do live in a day and age where, uh, you know, culture and society. It's, you know, people make a mistake, and we we don't forgive them. You know, social media, you fuck up. You say something stupid, you dial both fuck them, and that's it to get rid of

spk_1:   1:28:35
it. I told you one of my phrases. I forgive people because they know not what they're doing.

spk_0:   1:28:40
And we have to have our own Should have to. I mean, it's open

spk_1:   1:28:43
me when we're doing that. We're We're in a ego

spk_0:   1:28:45
Shit. Yes. Which is bullshit weight that I think No, you're right. You're absolutely correct. At least I think you're right. Okay, so, you know, go going through all of that. You make it through it Eve or bay Clairol what was next. What was the next chapter of your life?

spk_1:   1:29:04
Well, well after, or bay after over my own salon and closed it in five years because I did not like it. It was just too much work. It's not what I signed up for. So then I went to Avon, which was Trump Tower Trump later, Okay. And I became the global color director of Avon, the global color directive, Clairol and now had a great time there. And then I left there and went to Elizabeth or became the global color director, Elizabeth Arden. Then I went to tax and became the global structure of sacks. So I went from doing high fashion, too. Middle America, people, because they needed me there. So I went on tour with Clara on tour with Avon. I went on tour with and that was great. So then when sacks clothes, I went to like smaller salons and I saw I sort of felt I had to. One man shows in my paintings. I had I'm a golden silversmith from Parsons. I studied at night, so I had my jewelry in all those places, or B let me have a case of handmade jewelry and and, um, paintings. My friend Cindy Sherman, the artist. She bought two of my painting, so I was honored about that. So what? I got around 55. I said, You know, it might be time for me to think about what Act three is, and I love l A. So they're on 60. I was doing 20 Klein's instead of 40 and I've loved them all. But my assistant, Ivy, who have been with me for 30 years, never left all she was making a lot of money, and I was making a lot of money. And I thought, If I stop and I give her my clientele, which was a six figure clientele, her life will be different, of course. And I will be different because I gave something to somebody and I'm gonna be out in L. A. And I did that. So now she's so happy. She's incredible colorist, and she's doing all those clients, and I'm looking at what I need to do here. Either I'm going to teach, or I wrote a book about my life called Di d Y E. Okay, so that's being looked at by a producer and an actress right now. So they talking about Netflix series, and if it doesn't happen, it wasn't meant to be. And I'm writing another book called Sunset Aboutthe Sunset of My Life and I live on Sunset. So it's really about This is Act three. I didn't retire. I just moved here, and I don't know what I'm doing yet, but I'm sort of waiting for the universe to tell May it might. Just every time I ask the universe, it's scary because that will save the universe. Well, what my sister be doing that here? And he'll say, You're supposed to just be living and I go, But I never did that. I never lived because I was busy running and doing and running, he said. I know you never lived it. I want you to live out here and I go, but I don't know how to do and you go, I'll show you. So it's really but I've never I've never felt peaceful before. I moved out here, was always running yeah, from bullies from editors, TV shows. But I loved every minute of it. The first last month, was the first day I felt peaceful I woke up, I've got another bed and I went I I feel I don't have anywhere to go today and I feel really peaceful. Maybe I'm dead. I said, I think I'm dead, but I've never felt peaceful. Like I said on the counselor went, I've never felt peaceful from the bull, you know, all that whole Rahman editors and worrying about what I looked like on Ricki Lake and and I actually feel peaceful here. And then I stood up and I said, Okay, now I'm peaceful Now I want to be happy. Wow. So that's

spk_0:   1:32:35
so This is this. This is the third chapter of your three. It's act.

spk_1:   1:32:39
None of it's a dress rehearsal with a curtain went up when I moved here August 2nd, and I don't know what I'm doing out here. But

spk_0:   1:32:46
that's also know that. I mean, it's It's when you trust your found. Yeah, that's really coin. When that might be the corniest thing I've lost. You

spk_1:   1:32:57
found your lost. Then you can really go

spk_0:   1:32:59
anywhere. No, you can't. You have so many things that you can do. Um, are you afraid you're six Tigers are No, don't. You're 60 years old. You've lived a life of many, right? Although you're 60 you look like you're four fucking 40. I should

spk_1:   1:33:15
feel so young when I look in the mirror, I go. Who the hell is that

spk_0:   1:33:18
old person? Does that freak you out?

spk_1:   1:33:20
A fucking freaks me out. I go because I feel like I'm 19. Yeah, who? Uh, but it's hard, but, you know, it's it's it's it's interesting. I don't like it at all. But you know

spk_0:   1:33:36
what? What are you gonna do about it, right? Nothing.

spk_1:   1:33:39
I I tell my body every day is gonna be really recording. So thank you so much for me taking you on this journey because I really I did a lot to my body. You're standing on my feet for 45 years. Every drug you can imagine for yoga, gym, bodybuilding, jewelry. I had six hand operations, every heart, hernias, everything and my body is still here. Not looking so

spk_0:   1:34:06
bad. No, not right.

spk_1:   1:34:08
I hug my a sounds really corny, but I say thank you so much. Body. Especially my heart that kept beating. Could it gave out anytime I did at one time I was so bad one time in New York. I was actually convulsing because I was withdrawing from a drug that I was doing Margaret to it. And when I woke up lately, I said, Wait a minute, my heart didn't stop. I did what I could keep speeding But that's it. Beats its beats from out of a love space out of it. Beats because it's on a journey when the journey's done

spk_0:   1:34:43
stops. Yeah, you know, there's there's one thing I do want to touch on, Um, as we start to wrap this up, um, you know, for me, I suffered none suffered. I went through a major, you know, drug addiction, opiates. That was my drug of choice. From heroin to fentanyl. I never shot up, but that's what I did for like, eight years after my father passed away. You look good. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, thank you. You

spk_1:   1:35:08
look and you probably had a lot of fun, but a lot of not.

spk_0:   1:35:11
Yes, I had a lot of fun and a lot of not fun. Um, I know for me, getting out of it was getting into the hair industry and finding a passion and finding something that gave me purpose. Right?

spk_1:   1:35:23
Well, you really found your mission.

spk_0:   1:35:24
I did, I did. Which then has led to many other things. Right for you. What was it because you were obviously doing? You know what you do, Blake? When was it? Okay, this is enough. And how the fuck did you stop you

spk_1:   1:35:38
being the drugs? Yeah, the eyes, eyes toe. I I stopped the drugs when my mission took over. Like when? When it was that when I when I got toe or bay because I was, you know, when I first started when I was a teenager, I was partying all the time. But then when I started to get start to get where I want to make it into art, then I start going from every day to never parted it. Work? Yeah, And I never aren't touched my savings account because my mother, my mother, said, You never touch your saying so. And then when I started, when I start working, I said, I'm gonna just party on the weekends, Okay? But then when I was crashing on Wednesday, I was crabby. So then he said, You have to quit this all together. The mission If you find you're missing, you're missing. Will demand the D mission will make you stop because I need you to be present to complete the

spk_0:   1:36:36
mission. So true, it's you are

spk_1:   1:36:38
on a mission. I don't know where yours is gonna lead. It's just started when you when your mission said to you're addicted self. Hello? When you gonna When we gonna get this show on the road? This is the dress rehearsal you said. Okay, I This is gonna be tough to get off of these fucking things. But I could do it because my mission needs toe create life When you when you went once Once the sperm inches the egg No stopping it except an abortion. You di, you didn't die. Yeah, you cannot stop. The growth

spk_0:   1:37:14
that is so true is so sure that you're okay. So I'm so drugs having

spk_1:   1:37:19
problem with drugs? Try to do it little by little if you're partying every night So you know what I really love doing hair. I'm gonna just do it Saturday night, Sunday night Then if you're still creepy feeling on Tuesday, maybe don't do it. Do it every other week. Then do it or we go to rehab, do what you've got to do because your mission is is waiting for you. And I say everybody that goes to hairdressing school, whether they believe it or not, they're artists.

spk_0:   1:37:46
No, it's sure

spk_1:   1:37:47
not doing that because they're in rehab. They're not doing that. They don't know math, because I could've did anything. It's your You come to beauty school to be an artist. Let's do it. Yeah, and artists being high. When a person hi paints a picture, it's not as good as the picture of the person when he's not high because

spk_0:   1:38:08
he's accessing his art without chemical. Yeah, that, though the whole saying like, you know, like rock'n'roll artists and, you know, doing heroin it gives them inspiration, makes him creative. You know, maybe there's there's points to that, but at the end of that individual story, is it worth it? And, um,

spk_1:   1:38:26
and how better would they have been without the chemical dump dumbing them down? When I was when I would be partying on the weekends and I would come in on Wednesday, I would do 40 clients, and the color was pretty yeah, but on Thursday, with fabulous exactly my partner, Chris Chris, on who's won the best set dresses in the world. He took me aside. He never told me anything. He said Broad. I just want you to know that on Wednesday the colors are beautiful. But on Thursday they pee exact. I went. Why do you think? He said, Why do you think? And I went, He was. So who's the wind beneath my wings? Whenever we'd be on Oprah had never take the mike. He was always he working for 45 years. He still worked with my sister. My V S O. I said, Chris. He said, You know what you have to do? You don't have to do it. I love you anyway and I'll be here anyway. Like my mom said, you'll be here when? When people say to you, when you're on the mission and you're on drugs and people say whatever you got to go through, I'm there for you. You, your your your mission goes. They love me more than I love me. I've got to get the fucking yes, it's so sure, like my mom and Chris and Vivian and my sisters should be like my sister was doing with my sister story. So one time I was mice. My sister never did drugs, and I said their share sharing. Huck did trucks. We had so many drugs. And she said she called me Bert. I don't know why she's Burt. Do you really want to know the reason? And I said, Well, I know you're gonna tell me that, too. She said, You know, you're so handsome, but when you were high, you looked so awful drooling and all that stuff, she said. I never want to look like that. I was there for you But I just didn't want to do that. And I went I was I was so embarrassed, but she was there. She is you. How many times I would you would be laying on my lap passed out and I would just pray for you like fuck does how and didn't do them to take care of me. She's my younger sister, says he's taking care of her. So I take it we will take care

spk_0:   1:40:26
of each other. Love that you've had ah, strong supporting cast throughout your entire life and you shine bright. Ah, when you speak about them, it's frickin awesome from your parents to your sister. Toe or bay. I mean, and just your journey in general. Right? Um, it's It's truly inspiring, I think. And I thank you so much for coming on the party. Welcome Bean open, you know, because ah, lot of people can be very closed off and sheltered, but to be able to tell your story, um, and hot, shy back from anything. I appreciate your name when it's what you're supposed to do. Absolutely. Mold. Thank you so much. Thank you. Go back to your story in the world. Thank you. You're a gentleman and a scholar like Thank you so much for this. Mean to back to your story. Thank you. Good night, people. Peace out. I want to thank Brad for sharing his amazing story. If you like the podcast, please review it on the platform using apple podcast stitchers, Spotify, whatever it is, it really helps the podcast grow in a major way. If you want to hear more stories, visit our website back to your story dot com And remember news stories from here every Friday at 7 p.m. Smooches