Early Bob Ross – Pre Perm.
The name of Bob Ross calls many things to mind when we hear it. His show The Joy of Painting, his soothing voice and peaceful vocabulary choices, and of course is legendary perm. But what did he look like before this haircut that has so long been associated as his image? Well, this picture answers that question, it was taken of Bob Ross as a young man, before his perm.
Taken in 1960, this photograph is from the Air Force days of the famous artist. Indeed, before art, Ross was a worker for the United States Armed Forces. He began his career here as a simple medical records technician, rising up to the rank of Master Sergeant this way. He was given the title of Fist Sergeant of an Air Force Clinic in Alaska. He would later reveal in an interview that he was given a position of command at this time which he despised. He reported that having to be mean and commanding to his subordinates made him crave the life of peace he would later live.
It was in Alaska that he began to love painting. He found much joy in capturing the serene mountainous scenery. After he came home, Ross applied what he learned about painting back in service and started up his television show. The Joy of Painting as it was called, wasn’t immediately successful causing Ross to perm his hair so he wouldn’t have to pay for haircuts as often.
He despised this hairdo, but it was what he had when his show became popular. Because of this, he couldn’t change his hair, as that was something people commonly associated with him. Luckily, he would spend the rest of his life in the peace he wanted until his death in 1995.