John Valente

The Great Photo Album Adventure (Part 10B): John the Barber

/ unexpectedphila

(Continued from Monday, March 14.   Click here to see Part 1…)

When word got around that South Philadelphia nightclub musician John Valente, Sr. had a local barbershop,  visiting stars began dropping in.

16_03_17 1 John the Barber Valente DC_4068(John the Barber, Jr. reflected in a shop mirror below photos of his –
and his dad’s – famous customers.)

ALL-STAR  ROSTER…

Soon John, Sr. and John, Jr.  (who joined his dad full-time after graduating from St. John Newmann High School in 1959)  began cutting the hair of South Philadelphia celebrities like singers Bobby Rydell and Al Martino;  comedians Guy Marks,  Al Fisher and Lou Marks….

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The Great Photo Album Adventure (Part 10A): John the Barber

/ unexpectedphila

When I first shared Arthur Tavani’s fabulous mid-1960s photo album,  there were local faces that every South Philadelphian recognized:  Singers Bobby Rydell,  Fabian and Al Martino;  boxer Joey Giardello;  comedian Guy Marks.

“So who’s the guy in the white coat standing next to your brother and Jerry Vale?  A doctor?  A dentist?”  I asked Virginia Tavani Romano,  Art’s sister.

“That’s John the Barber!”  she immediately replied.

16_03_14 1 Jerry Vale John Valente Jack Baldschun(From left: South Philadelphia nightlife writer Art Tavani,  singer Jerry Vale,  John the
Barber,  and Phillies relief pitcher Jack Baldschun in John’s shop around 1964.)

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