There is a fine line between madness and genius, he was a genius.
There's so may shades in between, though.
My best friend as a teenager was...believe it or not....my barber.
There's a connection....so I hope I'm not boring the hell out of you.
He worked in a shop with 4 chairs. There were enough chairs in the waiting area to seat maybe 10-12 people. On a Saturday afternoon, you couldn't even find a place to stand....let alone sit. And two of the barbers were sitting in their own chairs.....watching Gino. All were waiting for Gino....who was always 2 hours behind.
He did all the news and sports announcers.....all the Buffalo Bills. Jack Kemp used to go to him. Until he threw him out of the shop one day.
One day, he saw a woman waiting for a bus with a short, beautiful Vidal Sassoon geometric cut. Now remember.....he was already 'famous' in the area.
Even though he looked like a very young Michael Landon....and now an older Brad Pitt....and could literally charms your pants off...when he had the scissors is his hand, ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN.
When he found out who had cut her hair, he went to the haircutter and it changed his life.
He immediately began to advertise to cut women's hair. He went to London and San Fransisco to the Sassoon Academy. He slowly weeded out all the men customers by raising the prices. And he's booked at least a month in advance.
I recall back in the 70's he'd have women crying in the chair. If his 2nd or 3rd attempt to console her didn't work....he'd threaten to put the scissors down and make her leave....half done and wet. And with little or no tact.
Didn't bother him whatsoever. Most of them ended up sending him roses, bottles of wine and an apology begging forgiveness.
Back then...his sound system was records. GOD FORBID should his assistant forget to turn down the volume while selecting certain songs on the album. It was that simple thing that could completely unhinge him.
He refused to speak to his client once he picked up the scissors. No small talk....no phone calls.....no interruptions. He was .....composing?
Summary......he was a genius at his craft....but as charming as he was....you had a better chance of seeing an a$$hole in the shop on any given busy afternoon.
He went through assistants and hired help like no other. But he loved women and it showed in his work everyday.
Wonder if Beethoven was an bleep to his circle of influence.