Babik was bald??

billyshakes

I was listening to a youtube clip of Babik playing Autumn Leaves this morning (seemed appropriate considering the view outside my window). When the song was over, it auto-switched to the next video which was this link of Babik playing Nuages. I did not know he was bald! When I glanced over to see what the video was, I first thought it was Tony Levin playing guitar.

Here's the clip. I don't know the year on this but I'm more accustomed to seeing that well-combed coif on top of his head. Anyone know for how long he had this look?
youtube.com/watch?v=vvQjNXGZ6cg

wim

He was bald earlier, that "well-combed coif" from the 90's was a [really bad] toupée.

Buco

It was a good look, should've kept it.

Spalo

I don't want traumatise anyone but Barney Kessel wore a 'rug'. Either that or he had reversed male-pattern baldness, being completely hairless in the 1950's and strangely full-headed in the 1960's and 70's.....

Jazzaferri

Magic

ChrisMartin

I saw Babik play in Nimes in 1991 (which was only a year after he was in the Django Legacy film) and from what I could see 10 metres from the stage and also in the film I think it is fairly obvious his rug was as natural as Dolly Parton's. I have a vinyl LP from, I think, the 1980s titled 'Sur Le Chemin De Mon Pere....Django' which has a photo on the front of an equally bewigged Babik. There is a film on Youtube supposedly from the '60s with Babik playing with his uncle Joseph which shows what looks like a comb-over attempt at hiding the receeding hairline;

and this one is dated as late as 1997 showing a very healthy rug still in place. This also demonstrates he could still play without a cigarette jammed between his fingers of his right hand !

ChrisMartin

And for those who have not seen the millenium model Babik, I suspect this was from shortly before he died in 2001;

billyshakes

Yes, Chris. That was the video I linked to but couldn't figure out the embed code when I posted. Been a while. Of course, the magic secret to Babik's increased hair production is well known to North American players of a certain age--Chia Head!
http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/chia-hair/n9969?snl=1

ChrisMartin

AKA doin' an Elton.