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Francis & Johnnie; Cuts above

by Katherine Vance
Brothers Francis and Johnnie Simpson have been barbers together in Elizabethtown for about 50 years. Growing up with their five brothers on a farm in town, both men wanted to be barbers from a young age. Their neighbor, Frank Bush, was a barber in town, and they both looked up to him. "It seemed like it was a nice, clean, easy life," Francis recalled.

Johnnie and Francis Simpson are more than just barbers. After cutting hair in Elizabethtown for a half century, the brothers have become confidantes, comedians, debate partners, therapists, local historians, newsmen and friends for countless people in the community.

“It’s not a job, really, to us,” Francis, 69, said, a smile creeping up slowly beneath his mustache.

“It’s about the people, you see,” Johnnie, 70, said. ”It’s about being able to read people and relate to them.”

Francis and Johnnie were two of seven boys in the Simpson family raised by their widowed mother. The two men have built houses on the property where they grew up and live there with their families. The pair joke that as children, the seven brothers shared one bed, and that this is why they have been able to work together and get along since they opened their first barbershop downtown in 1964.

“We don’t agree all the time, but we never go to bed angry at the other about something,” Francis said. “He’s a lot of fun … It would be hard getting along without him.”

The two brothers bring two distinct personalities to the Hair Tech salon. Johnnie never seems to meet a stranger. He is brimming over with stories and jokes, which he seals with a wink and a familiar smile. Francis’ voice has a slow, easy drawl, giving him a laid-back air. However, one soon learns beneath his ease is a quick and dry wit that can catch a person when they least expect it.

These two personalities are the reason some clients have been coming back for 50 years, and the clients are the reason Francis and Johnnie still love their work.

Johnnie Simpson, right, does some touch-up work following a haircut from his brother, Francis, at Hair Tech salon. The Simpson brothers have been barbers in Elizabethtown for nearly 50 years.
Francis Simpson of Hair Tech salon in Elizabethtown has cut 23-year-old Michael Prentice's hair for 17 years. "I quit telling him what to do a long time ago," Michael said.
Francis' tools of the trade lie on the counter in his barber booth. His work station is a combination of old and new, not unlike the salon that the Simpson brothers work in today. Hair Tech has two separate sections: one for the barbers and the other for the hair dressers. "We want to maintain the barber shop feel 'cause we are barbers," Francis said. "It's where you can come in and get a hair cut and a shave. ... A guy came in here once and asked, 'can a guy just get a regular hair cut around here?' and we say, 'well, yes.'"
A perk of going into the barbering business with your brother? Free hair cuts. Francis gives Johnnie a trim before beginning the work day at Hair Tech. When asked about the experience of working with his younger brother, Johnnie smiled and said, "It's been delightful, really. ... Francis and I are just so different, you see. It's hilarious."
Francis entertains hair dresser Shirley Foley and customers in the waiting room at Hair Tech with stories and jokes. "We love to make people laugh," Francis said, smiling, "It's not just a job, really, to us. It's a pleasure working together and just having fun through the day."
Barber Johnnie Simpson waits for the next client to come through the door of Hair Tech salon in Elizabethtown.
Francis holds a photo of Johnnie, left, and himself as young boys on the family farm. The two were always close and looked out for each other. "In school, if you fought one of us, here comes six more. That's the kind of familiy we are," Johnnie said. Francis added, "Everytime I go out somewhere alone, people are like, 'where's Johnnie?'... It would be hard to get along without him."