View source for Vincent Oliver

[[File:Vincent Oliver.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Vincent Oliver in 2017]]
'''Vincent Oliver''' (born [[1941]] in [[Birmingham]]; died [[July 9]], [[2018]] in Birmingham) was a barber and owner of the [[Hippodrome Barber Shop]] in [[Woodlawn]].

Oliver the son of John Vincent and Josephine Accardo Oliver, grew up in [[East Birmingham]], attending kindergarten at [[Willow Wood Park]] and grammar school at [[Woodlawn Grammar School]]. He graduated from [[Woodlawn High School]] in [[1958]]. He  played saxophone in high school, and took the stage with local groups like [[The Nomads]], and recorded with [[Phil Cay & the Blue Notes]] in the late 1950s. 

Oliver knew he wanted to become a barber since he was a boy. He had five uncles and several cousins who were all barbers. After high school, he sold his car and bought a train ticket to Florida to attend Jacksonville Barber College. He met [[Betty Oliver|Betty McLeod]] there, married her on [[July 2]], [[1960]], and brought her back to [[Birmingham]].

Oliver began his career at [[Tom’s Barber Shop]] on [[10th Avenue North]] in [[East Birmingham]]. In [[1966]] he took a chair at [[Fowler’s Barber Shop]] in [[Woodlawn]], and became sole owner of the business in [[1967]]. He initially changed its name to the "Varsity Barber Shop", before settling on "Hippodrome", a reference to a theater in New York City where Harry Houdini had performed. He gradually filled the shop's walls and showcases with an ever-growing collection of pop culture memorabilia.

Vincent and Betty raised three sons; John, Anthony, and Chris, at their home in [[Huffman]]. The couple relocated to [[Leeds]] in [[1997]]. He slowed his schedule in the late 2000s, but made no plans to retire. Oliver died at [[UAB Hospital]] in July [[2018]] after contracting pneumonia. His funeral services were held at [[St Theresa Catholic Church]] in Leeds followed by burial at [[Cedar Grove Cemetery]].

==References==
* Knox, David (December 15, 1999) "Hippodrome Barber Shop overflows with stuff he won't reject." ''Birmingham News''
* Jones, Melanie (September 18, 2002) "Just a Chat...with Vince Oliver." {{BN}}
* Parker, Sylvia (September 3, 2012) "[http://alabamalama.sylviaparker.net/2012/09/phil-cay-and-blue-notes.html Phil Cay and the Blue Notes]" Alabamalama
* Chambers, Jesse (December 20, 2017) "[http://ironcity.ink/business/shop-talk1220/ Shop Talk]" ''Iron City Ink''
* Gray, Jeremy (July 10, 2018) "Longtime Birmingham barber left behind museum of toys, memories and history." {{BN}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oliver, Vincent}}
[[Category:1941 births]]
[[Category:2018 deaths]]
[[Category:Woodlawn graduates]]
[[Category:Saxophonists]]
[[Category:Barbers]]
[[Category:Entrepreneurs]]
[[Category:Pneumonia deaths]]
[[Category:Cedar Grove burials]]