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Vidal Sassoon

Veteran hairdresser Vidal Sassoon is interviewed by Kirsty Young for Desert Island Discs.

Kirsty Young's castaway is the veteran hairdresser Vidal Sassoon.

He developed the architecturally precise bobs and cropped styles that were a defining look of the 1960s. Mary Quant, Mia Farrow and Twiggy were among the glamorous clients who came to his salons in London and Beverly Hills.

His scissors and ambition lifted him out of the grinding poverty of his childhood - he spent six years in an orphanage because his mother could not afford to keep him at home. Now aged 83, he says:" I've had the best adventure you could possible have, for a kid that started from nowhere."

Record: Mahler's 8th Symphony
Book: The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Luxury: A dozen bottles of Vidal Sassoon hair shampoo

Producer: Isabel Sargent.

Available now

45 minutes

Last on

Fri 14 Oct 2011 09:00
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4

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Music Played

  • Dinah Washington

    What A Diff'rence A Day Made

    Composer: Adams/Grever

    • Label: EMI.

  • Castaway's Favourite

    • Billy Eckstine

      Everything I have is yours

      Composer: Lane/Adamson

      • Billy Eckstine Greatest Hits.
      • Polydor.

  • Anton Bruckner

    Part of the first movement from the 9th symphony

    Artist: The London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Colin Davis

    • LSO LIVE.

  • Charles Aznavour

    What Makes a Man

    Composer: Aznavour/Aznavour/Craig

    • The Best of Charles Aznavour.
    • Premier.

  • Giacomo Puccini

    Un bel di – One beautiful day – from Madame Butterfly

    Artist: Kiri Te Kanawa

    • Arias by Puccini.
    • ERATO.

  • The Bryan Ferry Orchestra

    The Way You Look Tonight

    Composer: Fields and Kern

    • As Time Goes By.
    • Virgin.

  • Gustav Mahler

    Part of Symphony No.8

    Artist: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra - with Jon Villars, The City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus and Youth Chorus. With the London Symphony Chorus & the Toronto Children’s Chorus all conducted by Sir Simon Rattle

    • Symphony No.8/Gustav Mahler.
    • EMI.

  • The Count Basie Orchestra

    April in Paris

    Composer: Vernon Duke

    • Count Basie and His Orchestra April in Paris.
    • Verve.

  • Book Choice

    • The Brothers Karamazov - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

  • Luxury Choice

    • , A dozen bottles of Vidal Sassoon hair shampoo

Credits

Presenter Kirsty Young
Interviewed Guest Vidal Sassoon

Broadcasts

  • Sun 9 Oct 2011 11:15
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
  • Fri 14 Oct 2011 09:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4

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