Andre Walker
Hairstylist Andre Walker was born on October 19, 1956 in Chicago, Illinois to Woodrow Walker and Fanny Walker. He attended Kohn Elementary School and Lindbloom Math and Science Academy in Chicago, Illinois and graduated from there in 1974. Walker earned his certificate in cosmetology from the Pivot Point Academy in Bloomingdale, Illinois in 1977.
After graduating from cosmetology school, Walker was mentored by Chicago-stylist Leigh Jones and began working as a hair stylist for the beauty salon at the I. Magnin & Company department store on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, under the leadership of stylist Rudi Hooker. In 1980, he established his own studio, the Andre Walker Salon, which he operated until 1987. Walker then joined Harpo Productions as a hair stylist in 1985, and worked as Oprah Winfrey’s personal hair stylist for her many television appearances and for every cover of O, The Oprah Magazine until 2015. Walker also styled the hair of former First Lady Michelle Obama, former First Lady Barbara Bush, and was credited with creating Academy Award winning actress Halle Berry’s signature short pixie haircut. In 2013, Walker and Dianne Hudson, Oprah Winfrey’s executive producer, founded Andre Walker Hair LLC. Two years later, the company launched a new hair care system for naturally textured hair, called The Gold System, as well as The Andre Walker Hair Typing System. Walker also served as an industry advisor to select fashion and trade media outlets, promoting hair care science and education.
In addition to his career in the hair care industry, Walker also published Andre Talks Hair! in 1997. Walker has been the recipient of several awards, including seven Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Hairstyling for his work on The Oprah Winfrey Show, and was nominated fourteen times for the award. In 2008, Pivot Point Academy awarded him the L.E.O. Award, which honored the achievements of beauty professionals influenced by school founder Leo Passage. The following year, Walker received the Thurgood Marshall Fashion Icon Award. In 2016, he was presented the Bronner Bros Industry Icon Award as well.
Andre Walker was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on March 6, 2017.
A2017.036
Male
03/06/2017
Walker
Kohn Elementary School
Lindbloom Technical High School
Pivot Point Beauty School
Andre
Chicago
WAL23
Early Fall
Illinois
Napa Valley
Treat People The Way You Like To Be Treated. -Maya Angelou

Wisconsin
10/19/1956
Milwaukee
United States
Fried Chicken
Hairstylist Andre Walker (1956 - ) was the personal hairstylist for Oprah Winfrey, founder of Andrew Walker Hair, LLC and developed The Andre Walker Hair Typing System.
Andre Walker Hair
Harpo Productions
Andre Walker Salon
I. Magnin Department Store
Blue
Tape: 1 Story: 1 - Slating of Andre Walker's interview
Tape: 1 Story: 2 - Andre Walker describes his mother's family background
Tape: 1 Story: 3 - Andre Walker lists his favorites
Tape: 1 Story: 4 - Andre Walker talks about his mother's upbringing
Tape: 1 Story: 5 - Andre Walker describes his father's upbringing and occupation
Tape: 1 Story: 6 - Andre Walker talks about his parents' move to Chicago, Illinois
Tape: 1 Story: 7 - Andre Walker remembers visiting his paternal grandparents in Mississippi
Tape: 1 Story: 8 - Andre Walker remembers his father's stories of lynching
Tape: 1 Story: 9 - Andre Walker talks about his father's siblings
Tape: 1 Story: 10 - Andre Walker describes his earliest childhood memory
Tape: 1 Story: 11 - Andre Walker describes his neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois
Tape: 2 Story: 1 - Andre Walker describes his experiences of bullying at Alfred D. Kohn Elementary School
Tape: 2 Story: 2 - Andre Walker remembers his academic difficulties
Tape: 2 Story: 3 - Andre Walker recalls his early interest in hairstyling
Tape: 2 Story: 4 - Andre Walker remembers Robert Lindblom Technical High School in Chicago, Illinois
Tape: 2 Story: 5 - Andre Walker recalls winning a beauty school scholarship from Pivot Point International
Tape: 2 Story: 6 - Andre Walker describes his first hairstyling business
Tape: 2 Story: 7 - Andre Walker remembers the curriculum at Pivot Point International, pt. 1
Tape: 2 Story: 8 - Andre Walker remembers the curriculum at Pivot Point International, pt. 2
Tape: 2 Story: 9 - Andre Walker describes his relationship with Leigh Jones
Tape: 2 Story: 10 - Andre Walker remembers working at the I. Magnin Salon in Chicago, Illinois
Tape: 2 Story: 11 - Andre Walker describes his clientele at the I. Magnin Salon
Tape: 3 Story: 1 - Andre Walker remembers styling Oprah Winfrey's hair
Tape: 3 Story: 2 - Andre Walker recalls establishing his hair salons
Tape: 3 Story: 3 - Andre Walker remembers balancing his salon and personal hairstyling work
Tape: 3 Story: 4 - Andre Walker describes his approach to styling Oprah Winfrey's hair
Tape: 3 Story: 5 - Andre Walker talks about Oprah Winfrey's wigs and weaves
Tape: 3 Story: 6 - Andre Walker recalls traveling with Oprah Winfrey
Tape: 3 Story: 7 - Andre Walker remembers styling Oprah Winfrey's hair for exercise
Tape: 3 Story: 8 - Andre Walker talks about Oprah Winfrey's natural hairstyles
Tape: 3 Story: 9 - Andre Walker describes his appearances on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show'
Tape: 3 Story: 10 - Andre Walker talks about hairstyling based on body size
Tape: 3 Story: 11 - Andre Walker talks about the changes in Oprah Winfrey's hair style
Tape: 4 Story: 1 - Andre Walker remembers styling Halle Berry's hair
Tape: 4 Story: 2 - Andre Walker talks about his Emmy Awards for hairstyling
Tape: 4 Story: 3 - Andre Walker talks about the lighting design on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show'
Tape: 4 Story: 4 - Andre Walker talks about his compensation as a celebrity stylist
Tape: 4 Story: 5 - Andre Walker remembers writing 'Andre Talks Hair!'
Tape: 4 Story: 6 - Andre Walker describes the Andre Walker Hair Typing System
Tape: 4 Story: 7 - Andre Walker talks about Walker Simmons Designs, LLC
Tape: 4 Story: 8 - Andre Walker remembers his parents' reactions to his sexuality
Tape: 4 Story: 9 - Andre Walker remembers the AIDS crisis
Tape: 4 Story: 10 - Andre Walker remembers meeting his partner
Tape: 5 Story: 1 - Andre Walker remembers retiring as Oprah Winfrey's hair stylist, pt. 1
Tape: 5 Story: 2 - Andre Walker remembers retiring as Oprah Winfrey's hair stylist, pt. 2
Tape: 5 Story: 3 - Andre Walker describes his relationship with Oprah Winfrey
Tape: 5 Story: 4 - Andre Walker recalls creating The Gold System hair care line
Tape: 5 Story: 5 - Andre Walker remembers launching The Gold System hair care line
Tape: 5 Story: 6 - Andre Walker describes his hopes for The Gold System
Tape: 6 Story: 1 - Andre Walker reflects upon his life and legacy
Tape: 6 Story: 2 - Andre Walker shares his advice to aspiring hair stylists
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