Feb 092013
You know you’ve been waiting for this one! The People have asked for a decision on this, and we will work together to supply the answer—once and for all!
What’s the greatest white Afro in rock? It can be natural or the result of a perm, but no wigs! It can be an artist’s running Look or a 1-time affair. The nominees and the RTH People’s Poll follow…after the jump!
Ok, he was behind the mixing board, but surely this has got to be a contender:
Phil Spector in later years:
http://www.thecitrusreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/phil-spector-head.jpg
Sadly, I’ve read that’s a wig. Like Mick Taylor’s wig, too much is riding at stake to allow it in this discussion. Always a joy to see, however.
This is always a tough category for me.
I can discard a few right off the bat: Dylan was a pioneer but didn’t really have the volume or the shape necessary to get a medal here. Garfunkel’s receding hairline makes him far too “Bozo” to make it to the finals. Leo Sayers? Give me a break…
It really comes down to Sib and Rob Tyner for me. Si’bs might have been more consistently “more”, but Rob’s is pretty gigantic and beautifully formed by anyone’s standards and he beat Sib to it by half a decade.
I don’t know that they could have beaten Tyner or Sib or Magic Dick, but I’m surprised that the guys in At The Drive In didn’t make the finals: http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/69052/At+the+DriveIn.jpg
I’ll vote for the Experience’s ground-breaking britfros, with a special mention for Mike D of the Beastie Boys’ latter day jewfro.
http://i49.tinypic.com/2upehk7.jpg
Good point about Garfunkel and Sayers’ clownfros.
At the risk of sounding racist, aren’t those guys Hispanic? When filling out forms for “race,” isn’t Hispanic its own category? I know it quickly gets stupid, but that’s why I drew the line on them and other great Hispanic ‘fros in Rock.
I’m not sure if this is still the case, but not too long ago, on government forms including questions about race and ethnicity, those who identified as Hispanic were then asked if they were white Hispanic or black Hispanic.
When else, in the Hall of Rock, are you ever going to get a chance to vote for Leo Sayers so..I gotta go with Leo!
What about Manassas-era Chris Hillman? I think this should qualify so I voted “other.”
http://hymiesrecords.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/DSC001984.jpg
This is photo is part of an important in-depth study of his hair:
http://hymiesrecords.com/top-5-pictures-of-chris-hillmans-hair/
Wow, a tremendous oversight on my part. Plus, he gets bonus points for having a blond ‘fro.
Hey! All this Tom Petty talk, got me thanking of Mike Campbell: http://www.rickresource.com/stt-research/mike8836012.jpg
I think that he & Brian May must be related!
http://metalalacarta.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/noelredding.jpg
As I said in the original suggestion, Sib should be a lock for this one, but I’m tempted to write in Neal Schon.
http://www.starpulse.com/Music/Journey/gallery/Journey-band-04/
And maybe the other Experience guy, drummer Mitch Mitchell. I can never tell them apart from the white’fro pictures of the band.
http://northoftheriver.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/mitch2.jpg
Good God, it’s like he has a poodle’s hindquarters draped over his head.
With the poodle and the fourteen pounds of manly jewelry, if he didn’t lose the shirt he’d probly a tipped over…
If there is an ensemble cast award for ‘Greatest Cumulative White Afro by a Band or Group’ the Grand Funk Railroad has to be considered a front runner. If Mark Farner had got with the program and donned the Clapton Farewell look, it could be a no contest.
Both Mel Schacher and Don Brewer sported the hirstute rock bonnet.
If you consider MC5 Rob Tyner’s perfect coif, Detroit pretty much leads in the regionals…
So it is written, so let it be done!
Glorious evidence. I vote Schon for the sheer tightness and bounce
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxGEVIvSFeY
aloha
LD
Schon may steal this thing as a write-in candidate yet. Check out his ‘fro in this performance; it’s like a mushroom cloud.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEtSiHJa0ZU
Chris Hillman was naturally curly, but he had to straighten his hair out when the Byrds started, but when hairstyles got to be freaky in ’67, he let it all hang out, as it were.
I think “hate” is a very strong word for someone you don’t know, but if you dislike Don Henley’s/Eagles music that’s your opinion. I personally think Don’s Afro suited him well as it wasn’t too overpowering but complimented his good features. Jeff Lynne on the other hand, his Afro is a trademark and was constantly changing, yet always an Afro. He was dedicated to it that’s for sure! Don and Jeff have my votes!
To really get an appropriate evaluation of Dylan’s groundbreaking jewfro, it should be judged at it’s pinnacle, which I believe is his Blonde on Blonde era poof, also as sported in the 66′ tour photos. I’m not saying it’s the winner by or even his best hair, (Which I think is the less fussy Bringin’ It All Back Home era do.) but it does reflect his best entry under the criteria.
https://natedsanders.com/bob_dylan_signed_double_album___blonde_on_blonde__-lot47104.aspx