MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - A barber, a humanitarian, a showman, Warren Lewis is all those things. Now at 80-years-old, he's something else - retired. A virtual legend in Memphis, he was presented with a congressional proclamation earlier this year. But the man who pioneered "hair burning" is blowing out the candles.
Lewis has been cutting hair since 1951. But earlier this month at a retirement party in his honor, he called it quits.
"If I had to live my life over again, I'd do the same thing… I had enough. I love it but everything has to end somewhere," he said. "It really has been fun doing hair the last 61 years."
Lewis is the consummate showman. His unique style of hair burning generated national TV appearances, including one years ago on Jay Leno.
The idea for hair burning came from his childhood, removing feathers from chickens.
Apparently cutting hair for 41 years didn't keep Lewis busy enough, so he became a humanitarian.
"Somebody come to me and say they're hungry," he said, "1968 Isaac Hayes and myself started the food bank."
That pair also founded the Black Knights, "a self-help type organization," Lewis explained.
But it is for his hair burning that Lewis will always be remembered. And even though Lewis is now retired, if somebody needs a haircut, "Oh I got that covered. If I can't cut it, I'll burn it!"
