Stories from the man behind the chair
Today on Life in LA, I sat down with a man who’s been part of Magnolia’s story for nearly six decades. Don Higdon began barbering on the square back in 1966, when a shop might have just one pair of electric clippers that all three barbers shared. Since then, he’s seen every hairstyle imaginable come and go — from the flat top and the GI cut to the mullet and beyond — and he’s had a front-row seat to the conversations, laughter, and life stories that passed through his chair.
But there’s a lot more to Don than just a good haircut. In our conversation, I learned about the wedding he once kept secret from his father-in-law, the seasons he spent working in the oil field between barbering, and even his hidden talent for writing — short stories, a novel, and a little freelance journalism along the way.
These days, Don and his wife, Carla, still keep busy helping their daughter and son-in-law, Sunny and Jack Daniels, at the Pumpkin Patch at Miracle Farms in Bodcaw. The old sign for Don’s Barbershop still stands on North Vine Street, though the building now serves as a deer camp — a fitting reminder of a long and colorful career.
I really enjoyed visiting with Don, swapping stories, and reminiscing about what it was like to get a haircut in the good old days — and I’ll admit, I wish I still had as much hair today as I did back then.
So, settle in and enjoy this conversation with Magnolia’s longtime barber and storyteller, Don Higdon.
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