Remembering... Jay Sebring

As hairdresser to the stars, Jay Sebring seemed to have everything: acclaim, money, and access to the Hollywood elite. Yet, to those closest to him, behind it all was a lonely man. Nevertheless, he was charming, as well as savvy in business; in its day his company, Sebring International, was wildly successful.

Born Thomas Kummer on this day in 1933, he changed his name when he ended up in Los Angeles following a four-year hitch in the Navy. Soon enough his clients included Steve McQueen and Warren Beatty (it's a given in Hollywood that Warren Beatty's career-defining role in the 1975 film Shampoo was partly inspired by his friend Jay Sebring); by 1960 he was well-known enough to be chosen by Kirk Douglas to create hairstyles for the movie Spartacus.

In 1964 Jay Sebring made a fateful connection, one that would eventually lead to his death. While partying at the Whisky a Go Go nightclub he met Sharon Tate, and fell in love at first sight; they were soon engaged, and for a couple of years seemed happy together. In 1966, though, Tate broke off their engagement and married Roman Polanski. Despite this, Sebring remained close to the couple. It was Polanski who, at this time, noted that they were more like Sebring's family than his actual family.

In August 1969, Sebring, Tate, and their jet-set pals Wojciech Frykowski and Abigail Folger were hanging out at Tate's house on Cielo Drive when members of the Manson Family entered the home. They shot Sebring first, then assaulted him as he lay dying, before killing the others.
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