I’m sad to report the passing away of a true Downtown legend. Silver, owner of Silver Salon on G.E. Patterson, was found dead Wednesday morning in the upstairs loft of the salon, which was his home.
Silver was one of the most colorful characters in the South Main area. He could often be found sitting at the patio table in front of his salon having a beer with friends, or dancing at Earnestine & Hazel’s, or having a good time at the old Blue Monkey. He was also a dear friend to many who lived in the area. He was a good listener, someone people could confide in, someone who always had words of encouragement and advice.
I met Silver through mutual friends several years ago. Toward the end of 2004 I was sitting at the bar at the Monkey one day when he popped in. We got to talking, and I commented how silly it was that I continued to go to Midtown to get my hair cut when he was right down the street. “You need to come see me,” he replied.
So I started going to him to cut my hair. He was more of a hair artist than a hair stylist, and I gave him the freedom to cut it however he wanted. A trip to Silver’s wasn’t just a haircut, it was an experience. People would drop by to hang out. I met several other South Main people I now know well while sitting in his shop. Because of all the people there, sometimes it would take an hour to get a haircut… but it was guaranteed to be the most entertaining hour of the day.
He also had amazing intuition and gave great advice. “Are you seeing anyone right now?” he’d ask.
“Well, I was, but she…” I’d start to reply.
“You were too nice!” he interrupted. “That’s why she pulled away from you. You were too nice to her. You weren’t a challenge.” Weird thing is, Silver was absolutely right, even though I didn’t even get one sentence out of my mouth about the situation. I asked him one time how he developed some amazing intuition with people. “Paul, I’ve been cutting hair for 25 years. I talk to the women who spend an hour and a half in here getting their hair curled and colored. Don’t you think I’ve picked up a thing or two from them?”
Wish I had been around him more during the last year of his life. He and I had a disagreement on how my hair was going to be cut – he wanted to keep it fairly short (see the November 2006 photos in the photo gallery) and I wanted to grow it long again. So I moved on to City House where a friend of mine had started cutting hair. She does a great job. Who trained her when she got into the business? Silver.
I’d still see him around town occasionally, and remember having a few great conversations with him at Nate’s bar at Earnestine & Hazel’s from time to time during 2007. I popped in his salon for Trolley Tour a few times during the year as well. Silver was a big supporter of the local arts scene and invited artists to exhibit their work in his salon.
It’s going to be weird – and very sad – to walk in Earnestine’s and know that I won’t see him there laughing and having fun. I’m also sad that he didn’t live to see the new Downtown Blue Monkey open its doors.
He was one of Downtown’s most colorful and unique characters and South Main just won’t be the same without his presence. My friend Robert put it best in an e-mail he sent me – “he was a living legend and a South Main institution.”
I’ve been asked to post the details of his memorial service, because his obituary won’t be in the paper until Saturday. It will be Sunday, January 13 at 4:00 PM at La Pavilion, 1052 Brookfield Road in East Memphis.
Rest in peace, Silver, it was an honor knowing you.