In case you weren’t aware, the music world suffered a tragedy last month with the loss of two of its most-recognizable stars. I am referring, of course, to Willie Nelson’s decision to cut off his twin, waist-length braids.
Nelson’s image has so long been associated with those twisted locks that when I looked at pictures of him in a news post on his website called “The Haircut Heard Around the World,” I almost didn’t recognize him.
Elaine Schock, Nelson’s representative, told The Associated Press that he was just ready for a new, shoulder-length look and suggested he might have made the decision because his Rapunzel-length ‘do required too much effort to maintain.
Schock also said the outlaw country legend didn’t make a big deal out of taking the shears to one of his signature features. That may have been the case, but the press had a field day.
Not since Britney Spears pulled a … well, a Britney … and shaved her head in 2007 have celebrity follicles ignited such a media firestorm. Type in “Willie Nelson haircut” in Google News, and you’ll turn up more than 600 articles.
On the face of it, this degree of attention is more than a little ridiculous. I mean, after all, it’s just hair, right?
Well, yes and no.
When somebody carries around a hairstyle for 25 years, it naturally becomes a part of their persona. Those braids were as much a part of Nelson’s act as his guitar, Trigger.
Hair might not play any role in the music, but without it, it’s like the Nelson experience has been diluted somehow. It’s not unprecedented. After all, look at all the unflattering attention Kiss received during their makeup-less years.
Nelson’s braids were evocative of something, a kind of rebellious, outlaw spirit that resonated with his music. Ironically, by changing things up, Nelson somehow seems like less of a free spirit now, which is a shame.
* Internet music catch of the week: “Healing Time” by Josh Charles. Charles wrote the song shortly after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, and its uplifting, hopeful lyrics and vocals eerily reminiscent of Elton John are like a balm to the soul of anyone who felt the pain of that city’s devastation. If purchased as a single, the proceeds go to the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans.