Ron Jarvis sent this photo, which at first glance looked to me like a 1968 Moby Grape album cover, but which he assures me is a photo of the 1973 Red Unit Clown Alley of the Ringling show. It looks as though it was taken on the night they were all busy driving ol' Dixie down. Where was the First of May party that year? Gettysburg?
He then challenged me to name as many of the clowns out of makeup as I could.
I got two. By process of elimination that must be Peggy Williams in the center.
And there is no hiding the fact that that COULDN'T be anyone but Billy Baker down in the right hand corner.
As for the rest of them, they look like roadies for Blue Oyster Cult. GET A HAIRCUT!
It's obvious that Irvin Feld and Bill Ballantine hadn't thought to include "Long-haired freaky people need not apply" to the early Clown College applications.
He shoulda had a sign!
5 comments:
Is that Zapata in the top right corner?
Billy Jim,
What I wouldn't give for just one more 'Wella Balsom' shower...
Brother Ron
Where is Henry Schroer now?
Patrick,
"Where was the First of May party that year? Gettysburg?"
FYI The party started the first day of rehearsal and ended for me personally 3 years later...
"As for the rest of them, they look like roadies for Blue Oyster Cult. GET A HAIRCUT!"
No, we actually look more like roadies for 'Dan Rice's One Horse Show'...
"It's obvious that Irvin Feld and Bill Ballantine hadn't thought to include "Long-haired freaky people need not apply" to the early Clown College applications."
Dude, buy a clue, this is what we all looked like in 73. Even Tim Holtz had sideburns (kind of.)
"He shoulda had a sign!"
He did and it read 'DON"T MESS WITH TEXAS... OR THE RED SHOW ALLEY!!!'
Yes Irvin and Bill liked longhair kids as clowns. Tough guys then, not junior punkers or anything like that. We had been through a minor recent Jeffersonian revolution and took being "hippie yippee" seriously.
Ringling helped many talented clowns to avoid the draft. Dont know what they would say about that now, but they got them out one way or another. Don't knock long hair. kiddy clowns today don't even wear wigs. And there is no clown alley on Ringling to speak of.
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