North Brentwood Barber Shops

The earliest known barbershop, located on Holland Avenue, was owned by Jimmy Thomas. At his side was a Mr. Golden, who would always be entertaining clients with a comical lie. Young men could always visit for a good laugh while building respectable working skills.

Undoubtedly the most famous barbershop in North Brentwood was Baby Dee’s Barber Shop, located right next to Sis’s Tavern. The shop was originally owned by Ms. Sis herself, before she handed over the tavern to Deloris R. Sprigs. In 1959, Richard Lyles (the most recent owner of the barber shop) moved to North Brentwood and took up a position as a barber in the small area. Mr. Lyles barbered many influential people in the community, including mayors, for whom heavy-duty razor cuts were named, such as the “Stanley Queen Special” or the “Mr. Bellows Special.” Mr. Lyles was also licensed to teach and would always lend a helping hand to struggling barbers in Baby Dee’s Barber Shop, which he ran until 2008.

Other barber shops included Mr. Holmes’s barber shop, located on the bottom floor of the Holmes’s home (underneath the Holmes’s Hairdressers), and the Brentwood Barbershop. While Baby Dee’s Barbershop remained active longer than its competitors, it too has since ceased operations.

Sources

Richard Lyles in Baby Dee’s Barbershop (photographed by Peggy Fox). Date unknown. Minding Our Own Business: An Oral History of North Brentwood’s Entrepreneurs. pg. 4

Outside of Baby Dee's Barbershop (photographed by Peggy Fox). Date unknown. Minding Our Own Business: An Oral History of North Brentwood’s Entrepreneurs. Cover photo

Outside of Baby Dee's Barbershop today. Photographed by Grace Egom (author). 2023