Ten Iconic Curly Celebrities - From Chaka Khan to Shaun White! With Video!

From Shaun White to Chaka Khan, there are so many great curlies to choose from (though never enough, right?”> that we had a hard time whittling it down to just 10—5 curly guys and 5 curly gals. We chose these curlies based on varying factors: Are they natural (most of the time at least”>? Do they represent curlies? Do they wear their curls proudly? Do we associate them with curly hair?

Here are our picks for Ten Iconic Curlies from old school to present day (and we mean old school”>. Ladies first, of course (but other than that, no particular order”>.

Shirley Temple

Why: The Original Curly Headed Doll! Birth Name: Shirley Jane Temple Born: April 23, 1928, Santa Monica, CA Hair Type: 2c

What We Recommend for Hair Like This

1. Serious cute alert. Take pictures for goodness sakes!
2. Keep the curls lightweight and well defined with AG Hair Cosmetics Mousse Gel.

Quick Facts

1. Temple’s mother did her hair for each movie; each hairstyle had exactly 56 curls.
2. Temple’s daughter, Lorax, is bassist for the grunge rock band The Melvins, whose music was a heavy influence on Nirvana.
3. In 1972, Temple successfully overcame breast cancer.
4. Actresses Shirley Jones and Shirley MacLaine were both named after her.
5. Temple starred in more than forty major motion pictures.

---

In this video, Shirley Temple performs Animal Crackers in my Soup

Chaka Khan

Why: She’s Every Woman! Birth Name: Yvette Marie Stevens Born: March 23, 1953, Chicago, IL Hair Type: 4b

What We Recommend for Hair Like This

1. Let that ‘fro grow! Weaves need not apply (anymore”>!
2. Moisture, moisture, moisture for your gorgeous natural curls! We recommend Jane Carter Solution Nourish & Shine.

Quick Facts

1. Khan dropped out of high school to pursue a career in music.
2. Khan’s early musical heroines included Billie Holiday and Gladys Knight.
3. Joined the Black Panther Party, renaming herself Chaka Adunne Aduffe Yemoja Hodarhi Karifi.
4. 10 time Grammy-winner Chaka knows how to pick a songwriter. Stevie Wonder penned the hit single, “Tell Me Something Good” and Prince wrote “I Feel For You.”
5. Though Chaka has covered up her natural hair many times, she stills rocks her naturals curls and is known for her bodaciousness, huge hair, and powerhouse voice. And she’s Chaka Khan. ‘Nuff said.

---

Chaka Khan video. Chaka performs “I’m Every Woman”

Bernadette Peters

Why: Never Seen Her Straighten Those Gorgeous Curls! Birth name: Bernadette Lazzara Born: February 28, 1948, Queens, NY Hair Type: 3b

What We Recommend for Hair Like This

1. Standing O for Bernadette’s curls!
2. There is one thing: Keep some AG Hair Cosmetics Re:coil Curl Activating Balm handy to keep those curls springy and lively!

Quick Facts

1. Peters is Italian.
2. Her waist measures a purported 23 inches! Seriously?
3. A-Lister of live theater, she has been nominated for 7 Tony Awards and won 2.
4. Grammy nominated for her live album “Sondheim, Etc.” recorded to benefit Gay Men’s Health Crisis.
5. Best known for her role opposite former flame Steve Martin in “The Jerk.”

---

Video of Bernadette Peters with Steve Martin in The Jerk

Shakira

Why: Mega Star, Mega Curls, Mega Heart Birth name: Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll Born: February 2, 1977, Barranquilla, Colombia Hair Type: 3b

What We Recommend for Hair Like This

1. Keep rockin’ those curls and stay away from the flat iron! The world needs more uber-celebrities that love their hair.
2. Wear those curls down and be proud of that gorgeous mane. Try Curlisto Control II and Curlisto Structura Lotion for a nice combo for your curls.

Quick Facts

1. Shakira is of Lebanese-American, Italian and Spanish decent.
2. Shakira learned English by studying the music of Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, and the poetry of Walt Whitman.
3. Shakira is a trained belly-dancer and performs barefoot. Her nonprofit foundation is called The Barefoot Foundation.
4. Shakira is short in stature – 4 feet 11 inches.
5. “Hips Don’t Lie” is the most-streamed track of the past decade, with over 85 million online plays.

---

Official Shakira Video: Hips Don’t Lie (Featuring Wyclef Jean”>

Sarah Jessica Parker

Why: Brought Messy, Curly Hair Back In Style Birth name: Sarah Jessica Parker Born: March 25, 1965, Nelsonville, OH Hair Type: 3a

What We Recommend for Hair Like This

1. Forget the straightening. You have beautiful curls! (And we kinda like you as a blonde.”>
2. Hon, you need a leave-in conditioner! Keep those curls moisturized with Kinky-Curly Knot Today.

Quick Facts

1. Parker is a trained singer and ballet dancer, having studied at the prestigious American Ballet School.
2. Parker is one of 8 children.
3. The role of “Carrie” in “Sex and the City” was written specifically for Parker. “Sex and the City” garnered 50 Emmy nominations and 24 Golden Globe awards.
4. Parker once dated John F. Kennedy, Jr.
5. Parker had her famous, trademark chin mole surgically removed. “I just didn’t care for it,” she said.

---

Video of Sarah Jessica Parker with very curly hair on Letterman in 1996

Albert Einstein

Why: The Genius Scientist Was a Mere Mortal Like Us Birth Name: Albert Einstein Born: March 14, 1879, Ulm, Germany Died: April 18, 1955, Princeton, NJ Hair Type: 2a

What We Recommend for Hair Like This

1. A comb, perhaps?
2. Since Dr. Einstein was so Awe Inspiring, we recommend Jessicurl Awe Inspiraling Spray – plus, we just wanted to say “Einstein” and “Jessicurl” in the same sentence.

Quick Facts

1. Einstein’s head was so large at birth that his mother thought he was deformed.
2. Einstein had a daughter out of wedlock with Mileva Maric, who later became his first wife.
3. Einstein was known to be a ladies’ man (yes, I did say that”> and his second wife was also his cousin.
4. He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921, but did you know he was offered the Presidency of the State of Israel?
5. Einstein’s brain was removed at autopsy and kept for four decades in an attempt to determine what made him a genius.

---

Albert Einstein explains E=mc2

Howard Stern

Why: He Doesn’t Care What We Think! Birth Name: Howard Allan Stern Born: January 12, 1954, Queens, NY Hair Type: 3a

What We Recommend for Hair Like This

1. Let it grow—you’ve got rock star locks and they look better longer!
2. Like we said, he doesn’t care what we think!
3. Howard, stop talking and listen to a little friendly advice. Keep those curls gently cleansed of any buildup that might weigh them down. For your curls, we recommend Kinky-Curly Come Clean Shampoo. Ahem.

Quick Facts

1. His Hebrew name is Tzvi.
2. Stern graduated with a 3.8 GPA from Boston University, where his radio show “The King Schmaltz Bagel Hour” was canceled for being too racy.
3. The 6′ 5″ deejay was the first male to make Mr. Blackwell’s worst dressed list.
4. Stern is an ardent and outspoken supporter of gay rights.
5. An 8-time recipient of Billboard’s Air Personality of the Year award, Stern earns approximately $1,923,077 a week.

Read more about Howard Stern on NaturallyCurly.com.

---

Video of Howard Stern interview after being fired from WNBC

Jimi Hendrix

Why: Genius, Passionate Guitarist Birth Name: Johnny Allen Hendrix Date of Birth: November 27, 1942, Seattle, WA Date of Death: September 18, 1970, London, England Hair Type: 4a

What We Recommend for Hair Like This

1. Can we get on the guest list?
2. Try Carol’s Daughter Black Vanilla Leave-In Conditioner to detox and detangle those tresses.

Quick Facts

1. Hendrix was entirely self-taught on the guitar, and played upside-down because he was left-handed.
2. Toured with Little Richard and played on multiple tracks for him, including “Whole Lotta Shakin’.”
3. Influenced many guitarists, among them Eddie Van Halen, Prince and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
4. Playing with The Who in 1967, he witnessed Pete Townshend smash his guitar onstage. Not to be outdone, Hendrix set his guitar on fire.
5. Sadly, Hendrix became a member of the “27 Club” when he overdosed on barbituates. The 27 Club is named for famous musicians who died at the age of 27 (including former girlfriend Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain and Jim Morrison”>.

---

In this Jimi Hendrix video, Hendrix performs Hey, Joe

Shaun White

Why: He’s Got Gold-Medal Hair! Birth name: Shaun Roger White Born: September 3, 1986, Carlsbad, CA Hair Type: 2c

What We Recommend for Hair Like This

1. You’re doing great on your own, Shaun. Keep that moisturizer handy for those winter days on the mountain!
2. How about a little après-ski moisturizing while sitting around the fireplace? We recommend a deep treatment once a week with Mop Top Deep Conditioner.

Quick Facts

1. White was born with a heart defect and underwent two open-heart surgeries by age 1; he switched from skiing to snowboarding at age 6.
2. White’s mother only allowed him to snowboard backwards, in an attempt to get him to slow down; this actually helped develop his skills.
3. A professional skateboarder as well, White is the only skater to land the Body Varial Frontside 540.
4. Known for his red curly hair and getting big air, he is often called “The Flying Tomato.”
5. Two-time Olympic Gold medalist – once at Torino in 2006 and again at Vancouver in 2010.

---

Video of young Shaun White at age 11

Video of Shaun White’s run at Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics

Slash

Why: Rock Star Hair, Great Guitar Tone, Holla! Birth Name: Saul Hudson Date of Birth: July 23, 1965, London, England Hair Type: 3c

What We Recommend for Hair Like This

1. We loved the 80s, but that tophat has had its day. Goodwill that hat, or better yet, auction it off for charity.
2. Up for a cocktail? Try Curlarita Cocktail before your next Superbowl performance, even though you already stole the spotlight that day.

Quick Facts

1. Slash is biracial, born to a Nigerian clothing designer mother and English art director.
2. Attended the elite Beverly Hills High School with fellow-curly Lenny Kravitz but dropped out before graduating.
3. Formed the hugely successful Guns N’ Roses with Axl Rose in 1986; officially disbanded in 1997. Hasn’t spoken to Axl Rose since 1996.
4. Plays Gibson Les Paul guitars with few exceptions.
5. How much did Slash earn for his brief appearance at 2011 Superbowl Halftime show? Best answer we could find: “Waaaaay more than you make in 3 minutes.”

---

Video of Slash playing live

Honorable Mention

So, who’d we miss? Who would you add and why?