The gallery is downloading now.  There are hundreds of images, so it typically takes 3 to 4 minutes.
(Just enough time to read my blurbs!)
 
Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson
(1917-1988)
Trying to straighten his hair, Eddie had an accident with the chemicals and finally just shaved off the mess, arguably becoming the founding father of 'the Cleanhead look' for musicians.


 

The Gallery of Shaved Head Musicians

Time was that a guy with a shaved head meant Yul Brynner or Telly Savalas. Over the years musicians have discovered that shaving the dome is hip.  Lots of actors and athletes have the look now; hardly a band walks on stage these days without at least one cleanhead.  It took over 40 years, but everybody finally got used to it.  It's often said that men are copying professional athletes who started the look - Michael Jordan and such.  Phooey!  Artists and musicians make and set trends in America.  They just don't get paid as much.

This Gallery isn't about celebrity, income or music style;  It's about hair - or rather, no hair.  So it's just an alphabetical list. nobody's featured. Images have a link to the Musician's website.  If you want to suggest someone to be added - or even add yourself - use the link at the top of this page.
 

Pete Fountain
(b. 1930)
With a career spanning decades, Pete is a musical living legend in New Orleans.  He's the only musician we know to have a major city commemorate him with a life-sized statue.

 
 

1000 Cleanheads!

When I threw this website up in January 2006, I guessed I'd find maybe 40 or 50 bald musicians, tops.  When it started to take off I figured I'd shoot for 250 or 300.  Well that plan is long gone.  A recent burst of Cleanhead discoveries and we've hit a landmark ...1000 Cleanheads. Amazing!

Thanks to everyone who has sent suggestions for musicians to add to the gallery.  Keep 'em coming.  Remember that I can't grab images off of a Flash-based website, so it's a big help when you include a web address that has a good, clear photo of the musician.  The extra notes about web locations for photos are very much appreciated.
   



 

Website chronology:
 

Jan '06    17 Cleanheads
Oct '06  500 Cleanheads
Jan '07  600 Cleanheads
Jul '07  800 Cleanheads
Oct '07 1000 Cleanheads
Jan '08

I took a break from this -
but I'm back!

Shameless Merchandising Dept.

My latest solo CD, released by Motema Music.  I've wanted to do an organ trio album for a long time, and finally got it done.  There are some great players on here with me - all with too much hair, but there's a limit to what I could ask them to do.  If you're a guitarist or a guitar fan, there's some great work here by Mike DeMicco and the legendary Joe Beck.  (Except for my brother Tony, all my sidemen have hair.  Sorry about that.)     Amazon has the CD.

Curiosities in the Gallery:
(If you spot any other curiosities, please let me know.)

Christopher Williams - there are two of them.  I wonder if they know each other.
Peter LOVE, immediately (alphabetically) followed by Peter LUST. I didn't plan it; It just worked out that way.
The band Mozayik has 4 Cleanheads!  Must be a challenge for their lighting guy, avoiding the glare!  (Now if it were my band, the merch table would have disposable razors with the band's name.  I'm always thinking!)

For almost a year, Andy Abraham held the alphabetical lead slot.  John "Guitar Weasel" Abel's got it now.  He's probably safe in the position unless some guy named Al Aaron puts a band together.

Bands with more than one Cleanhead in the Gallery.
(Spot any more?  Help me out here.)

SF Jazz Collective (4 - Joshua Redman, Miguel Zenon, Nicholas Payton & Eric Harland)
Liza Minelli Band (4 - Rick Cutler, Bill Washer, Frank Perowsky & Dale Kirkland)
Mozayik (4 - Eddy Bourjolly, Gashford Guillaume, Welmyr Jean-Pierre & Markcus Schartz)
Bluemen Group (The original 4 guys and all of the offspring, subs, etc.)
Steve Smith's Jazz Legacy (3 - Baron Browne, Walt Weiskopf & of course, Steve Smith)
Mario Biondi's High Five Quintet (3 - Mario Biondi, Nerio Poggi & Alessandro Magnanini)
John Esposito Trio (3 - The whole band! John, Ira Coleman & Peter O'Brien)
Perfect Chaos  (3 - Panu Heikkinen, Janne Karjalainen, Aki Häkkinen)
Cintron (3 - Edgardo Cintron, Rocco DePersia & Michael Pedesin)
Uncle Funk (2 - Tony Levin & Pete Levin)
The Black Spot (2 - Jonathan Red Rossi & William Red Rossi)
Zum (2 - Luciano Pietrafesa & Shinkuro Matsuura)
Inside 4 Walls (2 - Michiel Kip & Bjorn Hijink)
Washington Trio Tree (2 - Reggie Washington & Skoota Warner)
Goldfinger (2 - Charlie Paulson & Darrin Pfeiffer)
Black President (2 - Charlie Paulson & Greg Hetson)
Evolution (2 - Myron Edwins & Jerrol Reavis)
Reduced (2 - Mark "Spark" Williams & Ken "Spleen" Moore)
Concentual (2 - Brian Thuney & Brian Henz)
Dimension X (2 - DR Burkowitz & Dave Hoover)
Dirty Dozen Brass Band (2 - Gregory Davis & Joseph Kirk)
5150 (2 - Steve Norde & Bruce McFaul)
Killteam (2 - Edwin Groenewold & Arnold Havinga)
Southbound (2 - Drew Rittgers, Roy Fulton)
JVA (2 - Tim Ellis & Jim Walker)
Moodswing (2 - Pat Bianco & Pete Levin)
geishaNO (2 - Dani Aberjel & Hagai Shlezinger)
JVA (2 - Tim Ellis & Jim Walker)
Fishbone (2 - Angelo Moore & John Steward)
Mag & The G Spots (2 - Steve Breman & Chris Harris)

And adding a family connection ...
Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show (Husband and wife - Teresa & Mark Turpin)
Right Said Fred (2 brothers - Fred & Richard Fairbrass)
Conviction (2 brothers - Jon & Dave Belec)
John McLaughlin (2 brothers - Mark & Michael Mondesir)
Tony Levin Band (2 brothers - Tony & Pete Levin)

Curious about instrumental headcounts?  Here are some approximate numbers:
(They don't add up because double and triple instrument credits confuse the totals - not to mention confusing the web designer.)

259 Vocalists (including rappers)
253 Guitar pickers
187 Bass players
174 Drummers
  86 Keyboard players
  65 Sax players
  49 Percussionists
  35 Pianists
  15 Chapman Stickers
  16 Trumpeters
  26 Composers
  21 Producers  (Arguably, everybody's a producer one time or another; But these are actual producers.)
  12 Flautists
  10 Trombone players
    8 Harmonica players
    8 Mixers (Engineers)
    5 Mandolin players
    6 Organ players
    6 Fiddle players
    3 Banjo pickers
    2 Conductors
    2 Bagpipers
    2 French Horn players
    2 Music writers
    1 Harpsichord player
    1 Lap Steel player
    1 Accordion player
    0 Viola players

Instrument count FAQ

Q:  Why do you think there are such high numbers of cleanhead singers and guitar players?
A:  Maybe it helps them get babes.  Doesn't work for me, but you might want to try it.

Q:  Given the hairstyle constant of the cleanhead demographic group, does the graph curve showing the diminishing numbers for each instrument of choice reflect any significant artistic, cultural or socio-economic trends?
A:  Beats me!
 
 
 

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CLEANHEAD GALLERY

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Click on a photo to go to the musician's website
 
Clean Head ... thinking of trying it?
 
Plus side
Very comfortable, especially in the summer.
No bad hair days.
Save lots of money on barbers and shampoo.
Instantly look 10 years younger.
When it starts to rain, you're the first to know.
Might be your last shot at a hairstyle.		 Minus side
Does the word "Melanoma" ring a bell?  Use sunscreen!
Bump your head even slightly and you bleed, baby!
Money saved now spent on razors and sunscreen.
Favorite hats from your hair days now look stupid.
When it gets cold, you're the first to know!
The babes used to love it;  Now it's no big deal.

Bald and proud of it

Had to show you this - just too good to resist.

Touring Europe and the U.S. in the spring of 2006 with the Tony Levin Band, we played a club on Elba Island, Italy and discovered this sign above the liquor storage room, which is not even in a public area.  Roughly translated it means "I'm bald and I'm proud of it."  We don't know who put it there or why (the current owner has plenty of hair), but it was a great photo op.