James Shackleford (Shack), owner of Shack’s Mid City Barbershop passed away on Sunday, January 30, 2005. Shack was a well-known barber in St. Louis for more than 60 years. Fifty of those years he owned, Shack’s Mid-City Barbershop.
Shack’s first opened at 1707 Franklin then moved to 3129 N. Grand then to 200 N. Vandeventer and to its present location 18th and Olive. Shack’s was a household name in the city of St. Louis especially when his sons Keith and John joined him in the business. Shack’s evolved from Shack’s Mid-City Barbershop, to Shack & Sons and eventually became Shack’s Barber and Beauty Salon when his daughter Linda joined the business.
Shack was a well-known and respected business owner in the St. Louis community and was featured several times in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and The St. Louis American. In the summer of 2003 he was selected to advertise for the St. Louis Cardinal’s Baseball team on billboards, bus stops and the newspapers. Most recent he will be honored as “Businessman of the Year” with a feature story in the February 2005 Black History Month issue of the Christian magazine “Sparkman”.
Shack was a Christian father and faithful member of the Jerusalem M.B. Church for more than 30 years where he sang tenor and held the position of director and assistant director of the JMBC Vocal Choir and also director of the St. Louis Vocal Union.
He will be missed and leaves to cherish his memory his loving and devoted wife Bertha, his children Louis (Hazel), Karen, Linda (James) Michael, Wilihemena, Betty, Deborah, John, Keith, Joe, Gary (Angie), Azell, Alphonso, and preceding him in death were Earmalene, Brenda and J.D. (Terry). More than 25 grandchildren, 35 plus great-grandchildren; a host of in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, a faithful church family and many friends and customers.
Shack leaves his legacy and dream to be carried own by his sons and barbers Keith and John.