Irma Kusely, Hairstylist to Lucille Ball, Dies
Earned TV’s first on-screen hairstyling credit for her work on I Love Lucy.
The Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild periodical The Artisan reported that Irma Kusely, who worked for several decades as Lucille Ball’s hairstylist, died on July 29, 2009.
The Guild noted that Kusely was the first hair stylist to receive screen credit on television, for I Love Lucy.
Kusely also worked with Ball on The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life with Lucy.
On June 14, 2001, Kusely was interviewed for the Television academy Foundation’s Archive of American Television. During the three-hour interview, conducted in Burbank, California, by Karen Herman, Kusely first described her early work as a wig stylist at MGM.
She then spoke about her friendship with Lucille Ball and Danny Thomas, which ultimately led to a job at Desilu, where she was the hairstylist on I Love Lucy and other Desilu shows.
After I Love Lucy went of the air, Kusely worked almost exclusively with Lucille Ball, following her through her three subsequent television shows, and traveling with Ball for all public appearances.
The entire interview is available online here.