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.
Last on
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
Role | Contributor |
---|---|
Presenter | Kirsty Young |
Interviewed Guest | Vidal Sassoon |
Broadcasts
- Sun 9 Oct 2011 11:15³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 4
- Fri 14 Oct 2011 09:00³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 4
Featured in...
Archive 2011-2015—Desert Island Discs
Guests are invited to choose the eight records they would take to a desert island.
Listen to over 2,000 programmes
Click above to browse castaways, from 1942 to today.
Articles
Read the surprising things we've learned about some stand-out castaways.
Podcast
-
Desert Island Discs
Castaway guests share the soundtrack of their lives.