Bozo the Clown originated in read-along book sets for children and was the first clown character to become famous. The read-along books sets were the first ever produced and topped the Billboard’s Best Selling Children’s Record Charts for 200 weeks.
On this day, January 5th, in 1949, the nostalgic TV show, Bozo’s Circus, premieres on KTLA-TV at 7:30 pm. The white face, red nose clown performed a half hour live circus show for kids worldwide and was the most watched program of the night. In the 1960’s the Bozo franchise was grossing over $150 million in merchandise, TV shows, and local performances.
Over the years, many men have dressed in the clown attire to keep the laughs alive. However, the best Bozo impersonator is said to be Bob Bell who starred in WGN’s Bozo for 24 years.