"I can imagine the comments this post will generate but seriously, Larry Harmon did bring genuine fun to millions around the world and he deserves to be remembered fondly. jcm"
Bozo the Clown actor dies at age 83
The world will be laughing a little less today after the death of Bozo the Clown.
According to the Associated Press, Larry Harmon, the man who made Bozo famous, has died at the age of 83.
Harmon didn’t create the lovable clown, but he was the first to appear as the real-life version. He later bought the rights for Bozo, tweaked his appearance — adding orange hair, a bulbous red nose and wacky red, white and blue costume — and licensed the clown to others.
He trained over 200 people to play the beloved clown across the United States, immortalizing Bozo.
"I felt if I could plant my size 83AAA shoes on this planet, [people] would never be able to forget those footprints," Harmon said in a 1996 interview.
Bozo’s biggest footprint was made in Chicago by Bob Bell, who played the clown on WGN for 40 years. The clown was so popular that the station had to stop taking ticket reservations in 1980 after the wait time reached 10 years. In 1990, when ticket reservations were reopened, it took only five hours to book the next five years.
Though Bob Bell is the most famous for performing as Bozo, Harmon was the real-life personification of the character.
"He was the most optimistic man I ever met. He always saw a bright side; he always had something good to say about everybody. He was the love of my life," said his wife of 29 years, Susan.
Harmon did become Bozo one last time before his death back in 1996, when he donned the suit and marched in the Rose Parade in Pasadena, where the crowd gave him a warm welcome.
"They kept yelling, 'Bozo, Bozo, love you, love you.' I shed more crocodile tears for five miles in four hours than I realized I had," he said in the interview. "I still get goosebumps."
He is survived by his wife Susan Harmon, son Jeff Harmon, and daughters Lori Harmon, Marci Breth-Carabet and Leslie Breth.
2 comments:
Oh the Clown Bozo I got excited because I thought it was one of your Liberal Bozos The Clowns death is a loss
I heard that investigators suspect the mafia was involved in his death. Bozo's balls were found in Bucket Number Six.
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