It is said that certain traits, talents and conditions often skip a generation. So when at age 39, Hailey Cole Tucker was still casting about trying to discover a career that captured her passion, she was surprised she hadn’t recognized her calling all long. So obvious it seems now.
Tucker is the granddaughter of Letcher Cole, whose name is instantly associated with the barber shop trade. At the time of his death at 84, he was the oldest licensed barber in the state, having worked in the profession for 60 years, the last 45 at Cole’s Barber Shop, a fixture in downtown Columbus.
Although his three kids practically grew up in his barber shop, none showed any interest in following in their dad’s footsteps.
“My dad did ask me once if I had ever thought about cutting hair,” said Tom Cole, Hailey’s dad.
It was a short exchange.
“Nope,” I told him. “He said, ‘Well, I just thought I’d ask.’”
Searching for her place
Hailey, only an infant at the time of her grandfather’s death, also seemed destined for a different career.
As a child and young teen, the 2004 Heritage Academy graduate did some modeling, appearing on the cover of the 1992 JCPenney spring/summer catalog at age 6 and in the 2001 spring/summer JCPenney catalog at age 15.
After graduation, Hailey studied kinesiology at Mississippi University for Women but lost interest in that field, leaving school a semester short of her degree.
“At the time, I asked myself, what kind of work would bring me long-time joy,” Hailey said. “I always loved doing hair. That led me to cosmetology.”
She took naturally to cosmetology school at East Mississippi Community College, graduating with honors in 2015.
But after graduation, her interest in being a hair stylist waned as she discovered cutting/styling women’s hair was an overcrowded field, finding it difficult to build a clientele.
After spending some time bartending, Hailey enrolled in barber school, again at EMCC. She will graduate in July as the valedictorian and President’s List honoree.
No one is more surprised than Hailey that she finally found her passion in a profession steeped in family history.
“My dad always talked about (my grandfather) and the barber shop,” Hailey said. “But it never clicked, not until I was 39 years old. It seems crazy that it didn’t come to me sooner.”
Barber vs. stylist
Hailey said she much prefers cutting men’s hair and providing straight-razor shaves in a traditional barbershop setting.
“It makes a lot of sense,” said Hailey, who goes by her maiden name, Hailey Cole, professionally to capitalize on her grandfather’s enduring name recognition.
“I’ve already had older men tell me about how my grandfather cut their hair when they were just boys,” she said. “People still remember him.”
Upon graduation, Hailey will begin work as a barber at Creekside Barber Shop on Gardner Boulevard.
Tom put together some of his dad’s barber tools in a shadow box to present to his daughter as she begins her own barber career. It includes two of his straight razors, two razor straps, a shaving brush and a replica of something Tom stumbled upon when he was a kid exploring his dad’s barber shop.
“There was a little safe he kept that I came across,” Tom said. “One of the things in it was a pint of whiskey. I asked dad what that was for, and all he said was for me to leave it alone. When I got older, he told me he kept the whiskey because some of his barbers were bad alcoholics. They would have the shakes and dad would take them in the back and have some whiskey so they would be able to cut hair.”
Tom still has the pint of Old Crow whiskey from his dad’s safe.
Hailey doesn’t plan to stock whiskey, but some vestiges or her grandfather’s barbering career will remain.
“I hope I can open my own barber shop in a couple of years once I’m established,” she said.
She’s even created a logo she plans to use as signage.
“It’s Cole’s Cutz,” she said. “I think that’s a perfect name.”
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
