Ben Shurett: Joel Williams – the last real barber in Tuscaloosa
The world lost a terrific barber and an even nicer person when Joel died last week.
How nice? I wrote a column about Joel a couple of years ago and, when he heard about it through the grapevine, he insisted I send him a copy.
I never saw it but Vance Rose, my dear friend and another of Joel’s customers, told me Joel had that column framed and hanging on his barbershop wall.
That may not sound like a big deal to you, but Joel also had a huge blowup of a two-page spread and photo – from “Sports Illustrated” no less – of himself cutting Coach Bryant’s hair on that same wall.
And Joel was the kind of guy who made you feel he was just as proud of one as the other.
Honestly, he’s likely the only man ever featured in both “Sports Illustrated” and the Times-Journal. I know he was the only man to cut my hair and Coach Bryant’s.
Jack McShane, 4, sat for his 
But the growing insanity isn't over his new office, but missing a haircut. Meanwhile, in outer space training, Howard is a veritable Star Trek Red Shirt while learning how to live in space – and cracking this recapping Theorist up in the process.
