Still Cutting It At 95
- Livable El Cerrito
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
About two dozen people squeezed into the Grand Barber Shop on San Pablo Avenue Wednesday to make some noise and wish Jerry Sandlin a happy 95th birthday. Sandlin has owned the shop at 10054 San Pablo Ave. and worked as a barber there since 1970.
A live band kicked off the festivities. Singer Wakane Luke was flanked by saxophonists Mike Lozica and Joel Wittenberg as they performed Kool & the Gang’s “Celebration” and “Jerry is a Girl’s Best Friend,” personalizing the song from the film “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” Lozic and Wittenberg closed the set with The Marines’ Hymn, in recognition of Sandlin’s four years in the U.S. Marine Corps.
It was as a Marine that Sandlin learned barbering. When he joined, he didn’t know what assignment he wanted. So they asked the 19-year-old what his dad did. “He’s a barber,” Sandlin said. “Ok, you’re a barber” was the order.
Sandlin was sent to Korea, where his first barber chair was a makeshift seat mounted on a large jack in an aircraft hangar. The footrest was a wooden box. A photo of the setup, which ran in the base newspaper, hangs above Sandlin’s chair.
After his stint in the Marines, he attended barber college to broaden his skills. In 1959, his family, including his parents and grandparents, moved from Southern California to the Bay Area, settling in Concord. That year he secured a chair and hung up his tools in an Albany barber shop.
In 1970, when Tony Riggio and his brothers put the Grand Barber Shop on San Pablo Avenue up for sale, Sandlin bought it and launched his own business there -- a few doors down from the Cerrito Theatre. Although he’s reduced his schedule over the past few years, he still makes the drive from Concord in his Cadillac several days a week.
John Stashik, who has known Jerry and his staff for many years and likes to drop by the shop to chat, organized the celebration and brought the cake.
After a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday” by the crowd, city council member Lisa Motoyama made it official by presenting a resolution from the council recognizing Sandlin’s long career. Family members including Sandlin’s great-grandchildren were in attendance, as were friends and owners of nearby businesses.
“It’s wonderful, overwhelming, quite a turnout,” Sandlin said as he served slices of cake. “It’s a very nice party, more than I expected.”
Sandlin was happy that the gold 9 and 5 balloons got reversed to show 59.
“It looks better that way,” he said.
Even after 76 years of cutting hair, Sandlin plans to keep at it. Asked how long he might continue, he answered “till the end.”
--By Jon Bashor
Great family effort on "Still Cuttin' It at 95"! Would have loved to hear the music. Loved the pictures. George used to go to the Grand; in recent years, he's taken his few hairs to SuperCuts.