Man Behind Bozo Dies

Posted July 4, 2008, 7:15 am in Television by Growing Bolder


Entertainer Larry Harmon, who appeared as Bozo the Clown for decades and licensed the name to other Bozos around the world, has died at age 83. He died Thursday at his home of congestive heart failure, according to his longtime publicist, Jerry Digney.

Harmon did not create the Bozo character, but played him for many years. He purchased the copyright in the 1950s and licensed the character to others, including TV stations across the US. The stations then hired their own Bozos who were trained by Mr. Harmon. "The Bozo Show" aired on US TV from 1961-2001.

"We didn't have satellite, syndication and networking like today," Harmon said in an interview. "So I created my own network of local clowns and productions, a cross-country operation that kept me on the road for 50 weeks a year for decades."


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