There was a lot that went into making Frank Sinatra the star that he was. It went beyond the silky smooth voice and profound lyricism. Sinatra was known for his style—the masterfully tailored suits which often accentuated his adept performance skills, and the way he carried himself. Of course, as an Italian from New Jersey, his hair was anything but an afterthought. The man behind it, Joseph Paris, was instrumental to Sinatra’s image—without him, it wouldn’t be the Sinatra that we idolize today.
Paris, a Brooklyn-born hairstylist, built a career steeped in glamour and creativity. He is best known as Sinatra’s personal hairdresser during the performer’s lengthy career, but Paris’ connections extend to several other celebrated figures of the 20th Century.
Paris’ journey from a working-class upbringing in New York to becoming a confidant of celebrities is the subject of his forthcoming book, Hairman of the Board.
The Beginnings of a Legacy in Hair
“It’s a great American story,” Paris says, reflecting on his roots as the son of a butcher in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. “I idolized Frank Sinatra. I was always combing my hair in the mirror, singing to his music.” Encouraged by his mother, he pursued hairstyling, sparking a lifelong passion. “When you follow your dream and love what you do, it’s magic,” he says, a sentiment he hopes to share with readers and his grandchildren throughout his memoir.
Winning the Empire State Master Hairdressers Guild competition early in his career became a turning point. “After winning the competition, I was able to go to bigger upscale salons, beautiful salons that had swimming pools inside,” Paris recalls. There, he discovered the burgeoning wig industry and partnered with the Canadian Fur Company, selling wigs across New Jersey—a move that would cement his entrepreneurial reputation, and secure him the legendary nickname: The Toupee Titan of New York.
Sinatra and Stardom
Paris had a long-standing friendship with Sinatra, but it wasn’t until he was asked onto the set of The First Deadly Sin that he would cut and style his hair for the very first time. This instance sparked a relationship that would last until Sinatra’s death in 1998. “He became a client, just sealing our friendship even more,” Paris says. On set, it went beyond hair. Paris helped to manage and guide Sinatra in both style and poise. “I had his back on the entire movie,” he tells me.
Beyond Sinatra, Paris worked with notable figures such as Barbara Streisand and even inadvertently with Burt Reynolds. In fact, it was Reynolds specifically that helped bring unexpected recognition to Paris’ name. One of Paris’ hairpieces made it on the set of the 1981 film Sharky’s Machine, which Reynolds starred in. “My friend Gabe Borgo came to me to make this hairpiece for him for Sharky‘s Machine,” Paris said. He goes on to explain that Reynolds was so impressed with the piece that he dedicated a character to Paris in his 1989 film Physical Evidence. “My clients started coming up to me and telling me of a Detective Joe Paris in this film,” he says. “It was a great talking point at my salon. It was a good conversation piece.”
Innovation and Legacy
Beyond celebrity hairstyling, Paris revolutionized hair restoration with his patented medical hair prosthesis (MHP). His expertly-crafted wigs and toupees have helped many regain their confidence after hair loss. He explains that mimicry is the key to a good wig. “It’s about building confidence by staying the way you looked before you lost your hair,” he says. “By mimicking their own hairstyle into a wig, it helps them to feel like themselves again.”
Paris prides himself on maintaining quality in a market flooded with cheap, disposable wigs. “A Joseph Paris product lasts for years—like buying a Rolls-Royce compared to a Volkswagen,” he says.
Hairman of the Board: A Life Worth Writing
Reflecting on his career, Paris considers his relationship with Sinatra a defining achievement. A client as noteworthy as Sinatra opened Paris’ career up to the masses. “It led to so many opportunities. Everyone wanted Frank Sinatra’s hair person,” he recalls, including King Hassan II of Morocco, who requested Paris’ hair services after hearing that he was the best in the world.
Hairman of the Board, set to release soon, offers an intimate look at Paris’ life and career. Terence Winter, creator of Boardwalk Empire, describes the book as “an intimate, poignant peek behind the curtain at a global superstar brought to us by an insider whose own story could be a movie itself.” The book aims to be as much a series of life and business lessons as it is an admirable story.
For Paris, the book is a legacy for his grandchildren and a celebration of his American dream. “Dreams do come true,” he says, crediting Sinatra as a source of inspiration and friendship.
With plans for a book signing on Sinatra’s December 12 birthday, Paris invites fans to celebrate Old Blue Eyes while revisiting his own extraordinary journey.
