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The 50th anniversary of the Beatles appearance on the Ed Sullivan show is fast approaching. It will be celebrated on that exact date, Feb. 9th, with a 2 hour exposition, aired on CBS. Iam one of the many young men who started combing their hair differently at that exact moment in time. My hair has consistantly been longer than "The Norm" since and has gone through m,any permutations. ending today with what i had inthe late 60s and through the 70s, My longer than mid-back length. It is a part of my basic self. So was it an outside influence, or just an intrinsic feeling you know had to be done?
It was exactly that, "just an intrinsic feeling you know had to be done."
I would just start to like my hair, and then be urged to cut.... well, I started ponytailing and that told everyone, "CUT NO MORE!"
Thank you for sharing your story about the Beatles, I never used to think they had "long" hair when they started out, but that was the perception at the time..
The Spaf Man
For me, I always admired guys who grew their hair long. I had one friend who grew his hair long when he was a teenager. He kept it long all his life until he died tragically a few years ago. But, I was always a different breed - I couldn't buck the norm and never grew my hair longer than to my collar and over my ears - and kept it short when that was the style - even buzzed it one summer a few years back...
Now, it is a intrinsic feeling that I needed to do this - for myself - a life long desire finally working toward fulfillment. Still struggle with the process, but am becoming more confident with each passing month.
I decided I had to have long hair that fateful day when the Beatles appeared on Ed Sullivan show. It's been long ever since.
For me the Beatles were the sole influence.
I found out many years later that David Bowie also had long hair
at the time but I hadn't heard anything about it until it was
metnioned on this site recently.
But the Beatles influenced me to have long hair and I soon
discovered I was born to be a long haired male.
I'm 59 now and have had long hair for 49 years.
I have always wanted long hair from my earliest memory. No one inspired me to have the desire. It came from within.
Bill
I just kind of always wanted it, even when I was like 5.
I was born after the Beatles era, so they had no influence on my hair length preference (I don't even care for their music). I've wanted long hair my entire life. You could say I'm a life-long longhair. Unfortunately, I grew up in a very conservative home and had no say in the matter. I was forced to get short haircuts throughout my childhood. In high school, I was able to convince my parents that I really was serious about wanting longer hair, but was only allowed a sort of "mullet" that wasn't much longer than collar length. After high school, I enlisted in the military, and again was given no choice in hair style. It wasn't until after I was discharged and found a stable job that I was able to indluge in my actual desires. I have been growing my hair long ever since.
I was born in 1962 but as a small child I was aware of the Beatles through my older Sister & Brother. I did notice the hair even then but I was always made to get short haircuts until the my junior year of high school. My biggest influence for long haair has always been the bands from the 60's,70's & 80's. But mainly Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad.
... still looking fit, and rocking the long locks. This picture was taken in 2009.
--Val
The 50th anniversary of the Beatles appearance on the Ed Sullivan show is fast approaching. It will be celebrated on that exact date, Feb.9th...It is a part of my basic self. So was it an outside influence, or just an intrinsic feeling you know had to be done?
I'm 47 & had cancer in 2004: ( 10. yrs. ago now - at age 37. - far too young ) ... so having grown my hair out, about 5. times in my life: ( but only getting to mid-back length before the 'hassle' factor directed me to cut it - I simply wasn't fully committed back then ) - not like now = now = I'm 777% committed ... + now I realise life is short, fleeting & precarious ... so to pursue my souls calling ... I have only to follow ...
Hi CEM,
Wow, so sorry to hear you had to deal with cancer at such a young age. I'm
sure that experience was a turning point in your life. I agree as life is way shorter
than we think so pursuing ones dreams is a must in my opinion. Hmmm, just wish
I could only follow that advice.I feel I need a change but I just can't off my duff to do it.Regardless of that your hair looks fantastic and I'm happy you were able to grow and maintain such a glorious mane my friend:) Cheers to you and your spirit!
Mârk
Hi Mark - thank you very much for your sentiments & compliments !!! ... may I say = I'm not unique - we ALL have life adversity & challenges, we must conquer & overcome: ( if we desire longevity ) - think of the alternative - die young ! ( not if I can help it ) - they breed us stubborn - down-under ... hehehe ... as for my pet hate 'PROCRASTINATION' !!! = oh dear = do I know this well ... even my computer time = I consider procrastination: ( as i see it as wasted, unproductive time ) = yes I'm hard on myself ... I actually feel 'real' life starts when we turn the computer off ... which is why I'm outdoors so much ... so I can relate to your frustration re: your need & want for change, but not able to take that 1st step ... I live by a diary ... I allow myself 3. days only, of time-wasting - then I go 'RIGHT' time to tackle my 'to-do' list ... EAT THAT FROG !!! ... hehehe = thanks buddy for your post cheers & hugs CEM. :O)
I have to disagree with this. I've been using computers now since
1973 (when I took my first computer programming class).
Also I use computers alot for may employment.
You must remember DOS, and Fortran. I remember the first CAD-D systems... So primitive. Analogous to the first computer games. Really an eye opener to anyone today. Sorry, straying off topic)
I first programmed a computer in 1964, when I took a programming course. In 1969 one of my final class projects was to write a rather large program in FORTRAN.
I first got on the Internet in 1973. I don't think they called it that yet. We could go over to the computer center and play a few computer games against opponents at other universities. We were given that access to test their new system, which was to become the Internet. The most popular game was "Moon War". Some nights we'd play Moon War until the sun came up. MLHH user Georges from Montreal I later learned was also playing Moon War at his university at the same time.
I first had a computer of my own in 1977. It came as a bag of parts. More than 2000 soldering joints later, I had a computer. It came with no software, but it had a book that described all the machine codes one could do with the CPU, using its accumulator and registers. Writing software was up to the owner, but it had lots of really cool blinking lights. If you've ever seen the movie War Games, the kid that almost started a nuclear war had a computer just like mine.
I began sending e-mails in the early 1980s. It was through a system called the Packet Radio Bulletin Board System. You connected your computer to your ham radio through a modem called a TNC. Once you got the gear, since there were no lines, the service was free. It could take a couple of days for an e-mail to cross the country, though, while local ones would arrive within an hour. In 1986 we set up the BBS for San Francisco for the system here in this room where I am sitting now. In effect, we were San Francisco's first ISP.
I got on the Internet in 1995 and I started my web site in 1996, In 1997 I got my last name as the domain name for it. Anything after that is not "ancient history".
Bill
Hi Bill,
That was a very interesting timeline on your evolution in the computing world.Funny how when you first programmed a computer I was only two years old!lol.My only computing during school was when I attended community college in the early 80s and learned what I believe was called the "Basic" language.If I remember correctly I thought they used punch cards then.My first personal computer came in 1995 with the purchase of my Compaq Preserio with Windows 95 as an operating system.I also got onto the internet for the very first time that year also.If I recall correctly my ISP was Netcom.I remember finding Victor's longhair site around 2000.I never got serious with MLHH until August of 2005.Ever since 2004 I've been using Macs as my main computer.Cheers
Mârk
Hey Mark = I ate my 'frog' = YAYZY !!! ... In the past 2. days, I got 10. things done on my 'To-Do' list ... & it feels REALLY good !!! ... but it required, that I turn off my computer, to do it: ( distraction-free ) ... my point was, not so much 'dissing' computers, the internet & the 'world-wide-web' ... but that these 3. things combined, create 'the-perfect-storm' which can lead, & does lead - oft. to 'wasted-time' via that dreaded phenomenon known as PROCRASTINATION !!! ... any one that has ever procrastinated, as a direct result of their computer/internet/www. use - can & will surely relate ... cheers bud & have a great day CEM. :O)
procrastinate |prəˈkrastəˌnāt; prō-|
verb [ intrans. ]
delay or postpone action; put off doing something : it won't be this price for long, so don't procrastinate.
Yes I do. Fortran was the first computer language I took in
1973 in college for Elecrical engineering.
I learned DOS years later (1980) when I got my first IBM PC.
Prior to that it was all main frames.
Later in college I would go on to learn COBOL, Pascal, Assembly,
C++. I still miss those days.
Oops. Forgot BASIC. We also used punch cards for the first few years.
I always wanted long hair, but in my conservative world, only girls l could do that. I didn't think of doing it really until around 1988, when I was in high school. I guess the inspiration was Bono from U2. He was so incredibly cool.
But I went to Catholic school so I couldn't grow it out. Our rule was: hair had to be above the collar, above the ears and above the eyebrows. You could get away with violating the eyebrow rule--so I rocked the 80s surfer bangs pretty hard.
Didn't start trying to grow until college. The journey began there and continues…I'm 42 and still trying to grow it out!
What an interesting thread!
It came truly from within, my personality chnged a fiew years ago I don't care about other peoples opinions and thoughts anymore so I go for it, better early then late, in addition I was born with shoulder length hair and got my first short haircut when I was three because of social pressure.
- Christian
Hi Jason,
I actually decided I wanted long hair when I was around 10 years old. However, my parents didn't see it and we always had short "normal" hair. When I became 12 years old, my Dad gave in and said go for it. Then I had varying stages of longer hair until I joined the Air Force. It was flattops for 4 years. After I got out, I maintained short styles for many years.
Now, here I am fulfilling a lifelong dream of mine. I will have waist length hair before the day I die. Not sure what my ultimate goal is yet. It would be neat to see what the hair Gods have in store for me! Onward and downward!
Ted
I think initially it was an outside influence, although after that I'd say it was just my own desire.
I always had buzz cuts as a kid and didn't really like getting a hair cut, but I was young enough that I didn't think too much of it. I think I was probably 8 or 9 when my uncle grew his hair long and I first took an interest in hair in general. Of course I continued to see many long hairs after that and always wanted to have long hair as well. My problem was I went to a very strict school that had haircut regulations for boys and girls, so I couldn't do anything with my hair that I wanted to until I graduated. I started a long hair journey upon graduation from high school that lasted almost 11 months, but life got crazy and I submitted to the pressure around me to cut it, mainly because I didn't have the time or energy to deal with all that pressure in addition to all the other important things I was doing (starting a family, marriage, college, and working full time). I stuck with the same cut/style for 10 years, often going 6-8 months at a time between hair cuts because I guess I felt better about it as I saw it growing out, even though I knew it would get cut again. At the beginning of October 2012 I decided I was going to grow it out for real, and except for a backside trim at 4 months I've not had it cut since.
-Tommy
My school also had strict regulations, I rebelled and grew
my hair long anyways. The school wasn't happy
but I did it anyways. Fortunetly my parents were divorced
and mom was very supportive. Dad was not happy but being out of the picture he didn't have any say in the matter. But throughout
my school years it was a constant battle.
In the end I won out, I graudated high school in 1973,
and my hair was still long.
Keep up the good work, your hair looking really good.
