Wendy Brandes Jewelry Blog

Never Is the Next New Thing

Hairy Noon and Night

by

I’m eager to see the new production of the musical Hair at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. I’m not eager to go to the park early to line up for the free tickets. The online option seems even more onerous than the real-life line. Basically, I need to find some sucker to take care of this for me. I’m totally The Man, ain’t I!

Too young to know what Hair is?
Click here, child.

Speaking of Hair, all you stylish peeps should know about the gorgeously Afro’d American actress/singer/writer Marsha Hunt, who played Dionne in the 1968 London production. Nowadays, a lot of people only know her as the mother of Mick Jagger’s first child, Karis, and the inspiration for the song Brown Sugar. But Marsha was a big deal before meeting Mick, thanks to Hair and Patrick Lichfield’s iconic nude photo of her, published in British Vogue.

Photo by Patrick Lichfield

From what I can tell, Marsha went on to record one album — Woman Child — and several singles. Her music gets rave reviews online but seems to exist only on vinyl. Someone needs to re-release her work! You can get some idea of it from a video here.

Marsha also dated glam rocker Marc Bolan

Marsha has written a number of novels and memoirs. I, of course, am more interested in the latter. Real Life deals with her experiences in the ’60s. Repossessing Ernestine is about her discovery that her grandmother was still alive at 94 after spending half a century in insane asylums. I need to get both of those.


In 2005, Hunt was diagnosed with breast cancer. After a mastectomy, she recreated her famous nude pose for Patrick Lichfield and used the image on the cover of her book Undefeated, which covers her battle with cancer and “superbug” MRSA.

Before she started chemo, Marsha shaved off her famous hair at a hair-cutting party attended by Karis and Mick. Mick and Marsha’s three-year-old granddaughter Mazie cut the first lock. As you can see, Marsha is just as gorgeous without hair.

Bald and beautiful

I haven’t seen any updates on her lately, so hopefully she is doing well, splitting her time between her homes in Ireland and France, and fulfilling her ambition of writing a book about Jimi Hendrix.

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Comments

  1. I love “HAIR,” especially the closing number. Not very familiar with Marsha but she sounds like a fascinating, strong woman!

  2. Wow, I didn’t know about the cancer. A brave woman.

    I saw Hair in London in 1969. Can you imagine all the sheepskin coats?! I still love the songs!

  3. I have a little present for you on my blog post August 12… check it out!

  4. Marsha sounds like she’s had (and is having still) an amazing life.

    I’ve never seen Hair – but my mother loved it so much she saw it over and over again. She alleges it was the only thing that got her through a very grim Toronto winter circa 1970 or so. She saw it NYC in 1969 too – so I daresay the sheepskin coats were out of control there too!

  5. Thanks for bringing attention to a deserving artist, and informing your readers of her books. I’m buying. And that grandmother story? Whoa.

  6. love those photos there is something very empowering about them.Almost embracing their own sexuality.

  8. She has a strong and beautiful face, just like her character. That photo by Lord Lichfield is awesome xxxxxxxxx

  9. Wow, thank you for all the wonderful information about Marsha Hunt! What a powerful woman.

  10. I’d never heard of Marsha before, so I’m glad you wrote about her. I love her name. I saw Hair in the park, and waited in line for 5.5 hours. I did the same thing with Hamlet and as a result fell asleep during it. I love the song Hair! I want to get it on my iPod. Actually, the whole reason I knew about Hair the musical was because I heard Hair the song a few years ago.

  11. Marsha’s a bloomin icon. Love that woman. I didn’t know she’d had cancer. I met her back in my young and fackless journo days and my impression was that she was a feisty diva. Very energic. Totally gorgeous. This post brought back some memories.. thanks.

  13. Makes me wonder about all the fascinating women I’ve never heard about! She sounds awesome.

  15. Marsha Hunt is one amazingly hot woman. I bet if she and marc bolan walked down the street, you wouldn’t be able to tell where her hair ended and his began.

  17. Marsha looks radiant in that last photo. I, too, didn’t know a thing about her. Though I’m a huge “Hair” fan. I’d say half the songs from that show give me goosebumps.

  20. Great biop makes you realise how talented adn unsung so many people are – who’d write such a fab piece on Mischa Barton or Lauren Conrad in 40 years time – eh that’ll be no one.

  21. I wore out my “Hair” album in straight-laced, Southern Baptist, we-don’t-act-like-that Mississippi back in the day.

    WendyB, did you know that you can sort of register yourself online at Powells Books to be notified if Repossessing Ernestine, as well as a couple of other ones, becomes available?

  22. Hee hee, Hair has naked people in it. I like all theater involving naked women, because I’m whatever the theater version of a cineaste is. Oh, right, an ass.

  23. Pistols, I was getting worried that you weren’t going to make a naked comment! Don’t scare me like that!

  24. ^^ Thanks, Lynette, that’s good to know. I’m always looking for some totally obscure tomes that aren’t even readily available used!

  25. Hi there-What a great post!! Marshas cover for her book is absolutely stunning and she is totally divine bald-such beauty really shines through.

  26. Wendyb, this is pretty neat because of the timing. Blogging just beats all for coincidence and serendipity and juxtaposition.

    Anyway, over at http://www.terrelldailyphoto.com, Jim’s post today has to do with a well-loved building that started as a theater and now is a book store, Books and Crannies. They might be another good source for you.

    Well, I’ll be, the first two letters of the WordVerf are my initials, minus my middle name! See what I mean by coincidence and juxtaposition!