Larry Harmon

Lawrence Weiss (January 2 1925 – July 3 2008), better known by the stage names Larry Harmon and Bozo the Clown, was an American entertainer.Dennis McLellan, [http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-harmon4-2008jul04,0,2473239.story Larry Harmon, 83; entrepreneur made Bozo the Clown a star] , "Los Angeles Times", July 4, 2008.]

Biography

Harmon was born in Toledo, Ohio and raised in Cleveland. During World War II, he served in the Army. Upon returning he attended the University of Southern California where he majored in theater and performed in the Spirit of Troy marching band.Dennis McLellan, [http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-harmon4-2008jul04,0,2473239.story Larry Harmon, 83; entrepreneur made Bozo the Clown a star] , "Los Angeles Times", July 4, 2008.] Harmon was married four times and had four children.. [ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0363528/bio IMDb Biography] ]

In 1956, Harmon purchased the licensing rights to the Bozo character Capitol Records. Harmon marketed the Bozo property aggressively. By the late 1960s, Harmon had licensed local Bozo TV shows in nearly every major U.S. market, and across the world in places as far away as Thailand, Greece and Brazil. [ [http://www.clown-ministry.com/index_1.php?/site/articles/the_unusual_history_of_bozo_the_clown_attempting_to_unravel_who_did_what_wh/ Clown Ministry: The Unusual History of Bozo the Clown] ]

On New Year's Day 1996, Harmon dressed as Bozo for the first time in 10 years, appearing in the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California to a deafening reaction from a thrilled crowd. [ [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/07/03/entertainment/e143333D74.DTL Associated Press] ]

On July 3 2008 Harmon died in his home of congestive heart failure in Los Angeles, California. [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Larry Harmon, Who Popularized Bozo, Dies at 83 |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/04/arts/television/04bozo.html |quote=Larry Harmon, who bought the rights to the character Bozo the Clown and turned him into a show business staple that delighted children for more than a half-century, died Thursday at his home here. He was 83. |publisher=Associated Press in The New York Times |date=July 4 2008 |accessdate=2008-07-05 ]

Trivia

* "Larry Harmon" was portrayed as "Harry Larmon" in the unfinished Tintin adventure Tintin et le Thermozéro (pase 5).

References

External links

* [http://www.bozo.com/ Bozo.com]
* [http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=93063&page=1 ABC News Investigates Bozo's Origin (2001)]
* [http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/WolfFiles/story?id=116511&page=1 ABC News: Bozo Finally Unmasked (2004)]
* [http://media.www.dailyvanguard.com/media/storage/paper941/news/2004/05/28/News/Whos-The.First.Bozo-2613018.shtml Associated Press: Who's the First Bozo? (2004)]
*imdb name|id=0363528|name=Larry Harmon
* [http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2000-03-17/screens_video.html The Austin Chronicle: Article on Harmon and his Laurel & Hardy movie (2000)]
*Find A Grave|id=28022262