Before TikTok and Instagram, Brad Johns was one of the most famous hair colorists in the world with a clientele that was a veritable who’s who of fabulous females, from beauty editors and celebrities like Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and Natasha Richardson to socialites and CEOs. Known for his buttery blondes and a groundbreaking technique called “chunking” he created for model Christy Turlington while Color Director at Oribe’s opulent salon on Fifth Avenue in New York City, the poor kid from the projects in Pittsburgh was living the American Dream.

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What most people did not know was that Johns was struggling with crippling depression and suicidal ideation that had begun in childhood. Growing up, music and his grandmother’s unconditional love sustained him. Later at the Stella Adler School of Acting at NYU and then as a rising star at some of the most prestigious salons in New York City, drugs kept the demons at bay. His plan had always been to end his life before his 30th birthday. Then came an astonishing revelation that sparked a spiritual journey from darkness into light.

For the first time, Johns tells the story of his journey from abject poverty in a Pittsburgh housing project to a storied career in New York City where he was profiled in People and appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” a record four times. His memoir, "DYE: a memoir of art, music, faith, family and hair color," which is heartfelt and inspirational, is available on Amazon.

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American artist and photographer Cindy Sherman calls the story of Brad’s struggles and recovery “profoundly moving.” Editorial stylist Jimmy Paul has this to say of Brad’s impact on hairdressing: “Brad’s signature shade of golden blonde just sparkled, and it turned the staid Madison Avenue highlights everyone else was doing on their head. Then came the chunks!”

Co-author Marianne Dougherty is a longtime beauty editor and publisher and a contributing editor at Spa and Beauty Today. In 2017 she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Beauty Bus Foundation, which provides grooming services to seriously ill people and their caregivers. In 2019 and again in 2022, she was a finalist for a Golden Quill Award for journalistic excellence. Her first novel, “What We Remember,” was published in 2023 and is available on Amazon.

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Marianne Dougherty is an award-winning writer, editor and publisher, who has twice been a finalist for a Golden Quill Award for journalistic excellence. Predicting the day spa trend, she founded American Spa magazine in 1998. She has also been editor in chief of American Salon, Launchpad, and Shades of Beauty magazines. In 2003 she published her first novel, What We Remember, which was a Mariel Hemingway Book Club selection. Follow her on Instagram: @mariannedoughertyauthor. Or visit her website: mariannedougherty.com