Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Billy Baker and "Bozo Row"

Photo courtesy of Billy Baker


I got a really nice message from my friend, International Clown Hall of Fame inductee Mr. Billy Baker of Pigeon Forge, TN, who tells me that New Year's Eve has come and gone and that the final curtain has decended on his long running show "Elwood Smooch's Old Smoky Hoedown"...

"I closed my Old Smoky Hoedown with sweet tears Sunday night. Memorable show, went out with my pants down and hands up. Just like I started it 11 years ago. If you counted happy hearts and blessings rendered, we were the richest show in the Smokies."

But you can't keep a good clown down and Billy is far from ready to hang up his big old floppy shoes just yet! Look for him to join the cast of another show in Pigeon Forge in just a few weeks.

In the meantime, he passes along this photo from deep within his trunk of the clowns of the notorious "Bozo Row"...

"Patrick, here is a shot that might be of interest...

"Bozo Row" - This is a group shot of the inmates that lived on legendary Bozo Row in Hollywood in the late 70's-early 80's.

I arrived in Hollywood in 1978, and ended up managing an apartment complex, that within a year or two, was full of Ringling rejects coming to Lotusland to try their luck. Out of 12 units, 10 were filled with Ringling grease paint comrades. There were also many, who passing through were adopted or too broke to go elsewhere. It was a circus train that never left the station.

This picture appeared in Los Angeles magazine in 1981 with a story. In the picture are: Billy & Dolly & Katie (1 year old) Baker, Jimmie Briscoe, Ed "Smitty" Smith, Ron Jarvis, Kevin Bickford, Robin Shaw and Daniel Rodgers.

Kevin and Robin still live in the neighborhood. It was a hoot!"

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I remember that day very well. Ed Smith looks very 'life-like' doesn't he? Have Billy tell you the story about the day he, Briscoe, and Richard Capelli hiked to the Hollywood sign and ran into Jerry Rubin and an LA Times photographer. I think the caption in the paper read "Jerry Rubin and his gang"!