1. Thomas John Kummer, known professionally as Jay Sebring, was an American celebrity hair stylist, and the founder of the hairstyling corporation Sebring International.
31 Facts About Jay Sebring
1. 2.
Jay Sebring grew up with one brother and two sisters in a middle-class home in Detroit, Michigan.
3.
Jay Sebring then moved to Los Angeles, where he adopted the name "Jay Sebring": Jay, after the first initial of his middle name, and Sebring after the 12 Hours of Sebring sports car race.
4.
Jay Sebring promptly "invented a whole new way of cutting men's hair".
5.
Jay Sebring's innovations including shampooing men's hair before styling it, cutting their hair with scissors instead of clippers, and using blow dryers, which were popular in Europe but not well known in the United States.
6.
Jay Sebring used hairspray in an era when Brylcreem was the accepted hair product for men.
7.
Jay Sebring's breakthrough happened after meeting actress Barbara Luna at a party.
8.
Jay Sebring told Vic Damone, who liked him enough to fly him to Las Vegas for a trim.
9.
Jay Sebring taught his methods to others who then opened Jay Sebring Salon franchises; his styling techniques were still being taught 40 years after his death.
10.
At a time when barbers charged $1 to $2 for a haircut, Jay Sebring charged $50 and more.
11.
Jay Sebring flew to Las Vegas every three weeks to cut the hair of Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr.
12.
At Kirk Douglas's request, Jay Sebring did the hairstyling for the movie Spartacus.
13.
Jay Sebring later designed The Doors' Jim Morrison's free-flowing style.
14.
Jay Sebring's business, Sebring International, was flourishing by the late 1960s, with profitable salons in West Hollywood, New York City and London.
15.
Jay Sebring maintained a playboy lifestyle, with high-profile Hollywood personalities like Beatty among his closest associates.
16.
Jay Sebring assisted with launching the film career of Bruce Lee, after meeting him at the International Karate Championships in Long Beach in 1964.
17.
Jay Sebring introduced Lee to his producer friend Bill Dozier, who started Lee's career with The Green Hornet.
18.
Jay Sebring appeared in a 1967 episode of The Virginian titled "The Strange Quest of Claire Bingham", playing a frontier barber.
19.
Jay Sebring appeared as himself on the January 28,1963 episode of To Tell the Truth.
20.
Jay Sebring was one of the people profiled in the 1967 cult documentary, Mondo Hollywood.
21.
Back in 1969, Jay Sebring was nicknamed The Candyman and was said to have used his salon to peddle drugs to the stars.
22.
Jay Sebring was introduced to Sharon Tate by journalist Joe Hyams in October 1964 and they began a relationship.
23.
Jay Sebring bought the former home of Paul Bern, husband of Jean Harlow, on Easton Drive in Benedict Canyon, then owned by Sally Forrest.
24.
Jay Sebring befriended Polanski, while remaining a friend to Tate.
25.
Polanski would later comment that despite Jay Sebring's lifestyle, he was a very lonely person, who regarded Tate and Polanski as his family.
26.
In early May 1969, Jay Sebring opened a new salon at 629 Commercial Street in San Francisco, and a champagne reception followed.
27.
Jay Sebring protested and asked the intruders to consider Tate's advanced pregnancy.
28.
Watson then shot Jay Sebring, and kicked him several times in the face as he lay dying, breaking his nose and eye socket.
29.
Jay Sebring was then stabbed seven times and died from blood loss caused by his stab wounds.
30.
Jay Sebring's body was found lying down and bloodied, his face disfigured.
31.
Jay Sebring was buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Southfield, Michigan.