Marty Eubanks was quick to say this was not a retirement party but only the 50-year mark, so he celebrated it with family and friends on Saturday.
“I’m planning on being here for another 50 years,” said Eubanks with that hint of a grin that catches the attention of all nearby. “I didn’t know how long I would last when I opened the door in 1972. I can’t say that I know that now.”
Eubanks said he bought the building in December 1971 and moved in Jan. 8, 1972. There had been plans for a celebration of his milestone in January of this year, but COVID curtailed it.
World events in the lives of Marty and Lynn Eubanks also delayed the opening more than 50-years ago.
“I had just given birth to a child,” said Lynn Eubanks of the day Marty’s Barbershop first opened. “We were so young and of course we had no idea if we would be successful. But we stepped out on faith, Marty worked hard and God blessed us with customers – customers who have been with us for all these years.”
Marty had been cutting hair at another shop in town, and when he graduated from Barber School, he struck out on his own.
“I put two daughters through school, paid for a house and a lot of cars cutting hair,” said Eubanks. “I like it. I wouldn’t have done it this long if I didn’t.”
Eubanks will be 82 in May.
He is an Army veteran who served in post-World War II Germany. He has a workshop at his house in Rena Lara and has developed a reputation as a gunsmith, wood-worker and model airplane hobbiest.
He has run in the Boston Marathon, the Stockholm Marathon in Sweden twice, and the Memphis Marathon 15 times. All in all he has run in 24 marathons of 26 miles each.
And his faithful customers still come in to find out what he’s going to do next.
“I’ve got people who come once a year and I’ve got people who come every other week,” said Eubanks. “I’ve had people from all over the world see that barber pole out front and come in and sit down in my chair. When they come back to Clarksdale, they come back here.”
He said whenever someone sits in his chair, it’s a chance to catch up with them and find out what is going on in their life.
“I’m not a psychiatrist and I’m not very smart,” said Eubanks. “Mostly I listen and let them talk. Sometimes I say something wise.”
Then he cracked a joke for those listening.
And those listening said when Marty Eubanks hears of a need, he reaches into that right pocket and pulls out a little cash to make life a little easier on that person.
“These people are not customers, they are my friends,” said Eubanks. “The styles may change but hair keeps growing and I keep circling this chair and cutting their hair.”
