NEW ORLEANS – One New Orleans barber is busy. His name is Daniel Rideau.
Daniel’s day is packed with back-to-school haircuts for kids.
And for all the new do’s, Daniel gets no dollars. But it all makes sense.
At New Orleans’ Harrell Park, a barbershop has been set up just for back-to-school season. The barbers are offering free back-to-school haircuts for kids on Monday. The event is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Aug. 7, at the park. All students’ names must be on the list by 2 p.m. to receive a free haircut.
On most other days, Daniel Rideau runs a barbershop with Jerome Morgan called Real Gentlemen.
They’ve known each other for years. They met when they were teenagers.
They did not meet in this joint. They met in “the joint.”
They were bunk mates serving life sentences for murder at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, the “Alcatraz of the South”.
Jerome and Daniel are in the barbershop business because of Jason Flom, the CEO of Lava Records. You’ve heard some of the music makers Jason discovered.
Katy Perry, Kid Rock, actor Jared Leto’s band, Thirty Seconds to Mars.
Jason is a big man in the music world. And he’s a big man in the world of criminal justice reform.
Jerome Morgan and Daniel Rideau were released from Angola.They were exonerated.
And now they’re in the barbershop business because Jason Flom gave them a hand.
Now they’re giving Jason a haircut.
The barbershop is called Real Gentlemen. That’s whom you meet when you just come in for a haircut.
To watch Wild Bill’s story about Real Gentlemen Barbershop, just click right here.