The Truth About Bob Ross’ Afro

Famous artist and TV personality Bob Ross was known not just for his paintings but also his unusual hair. He sported an afro that was definitely popular among his fans and got him a lot of attention. Turns out, it wasn’t the way his natural hair was supposed to be, after all. It was really a perm all along. Who knew? 

According to a piece by NPR, Ross’ hair was quite straight. According to his old business partner, Annette Kowalski, he’d left the Air Force and was trying to achieve a breakthrough as an artist when he figured he could increase his savings by avoiding haircuts. “He got this bright idea that he could save money on haircuts. So he let his hair grow, he got a perm, and decided he would never need a haircut again,” Kowalski said. Unfortunately for Ross, he didn’t have the time to go back to his original style when his afro ended up becoming his company’s logo. 

It was actually a perm

Red afroShutterstock

Ross wasn’t a big fan of his big hair. He actually disliked the perm and wished to go back to his original style. “He could never, ever, ever change his hair, and he was so mad about that,” Kowalski said. “He got tired of that curly hair.” However, Ross’ fans who followed his TV show, “The Joy of Painting” loved his hair. Ross’ was a legend with his soft-spoken persona and incredible talent: he’d make beautiful artwork in just half an hour, maintaining his constant popularity on PBS.

Kowalski herself was going through a very difficult time after experiencing a devastating personal loss when she met Ross at one of his painting classes. “I was so mesmerized by Bob,” Kowalski said. “Somehow, he lifted me up out of that depression. I just think that Bob knew how to woo people. I said, ‘Let’s put it in a bottle and sell it.’ “

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