RIP Bozo The Clown

[tugmoose]

Farewell to one of my first heroes.

 

 

Larry Harmon, longtime Bozo the Clown, dead at 83

 

By JOHN ROGERS, Associated Press Writer

2 hours, 3 minutes ago

 

LOS ANGELES - Larry Harmon, who turned the character Bozo the Clown into a show business staple that delighted children for more than a half-century, died Thursday of congestive heart failure. He was 83.

 

His publicist, Jerry Digney, told The Associated Press he died at his home.

 

Although not the original Bozo, Harmon portrayed the popular clown in countless appearances and, as an entrepreneur, he licensed the character to others, particularly dozens of television stations around the country. The stations in turn hired actors to be their local Bozos.

 

"You might say, in a way, I was cloning BTC (Bozo the Clown) before anybody else out there got around to cloning DNA," Harmon told the AP in a 1996 interview.

 

"Bozo is a combination of the wonderful wisdom of the adult and the childlike ways in all of us," Harmon said.

 

Pinto Colvig, who also provided the voice for Walt Disney's Goofy, originated Bozo the Clown when Capitol Records introduced a series of children's records in 1946. Harmon would later meet his alter ego while answering a casting call to make personal appearances as a clown to promote the records.

 

He got that job and eventually bought the rights to Bozo. Along the way, he embellished Bozo's distinctive look: the orange-tufted hair, the bulbous nose, the outlandish red, white and blue costume.

 

"I felt if I could plant my size 83AAA shoes on this planet, (people) would never be able to forget those footprints," he said.

 

Susan Harmon, his wife of 29 years, indicated Harmon was the perfect fit for Bozo.

 

"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," she said Thursday.

 

The business

[Guest Cousin Tupelo]

That's too, too sad. So long, Krusty!

[embiggen]

[Guest Cousin Tupelo]

That's too, too sad. So long, Krusty!

To me, though, Bob Bell is Bozo.

[tugmoose]

I am closing this topic, as it is getting far too few responses.

[kidsmoke]

I like Bozo.

[tugmoose]

That's not fair!

[kidsmoke]

kinda fun though!

 

Forgive me, Greg! I really did want to add my thoughts though. Bozo was a big part of my childhood. And even now, as an adult, I know so many bozos!