Billy Smart, Jr

Billy Smart, Jr (15 October 1934 – 23 May 2005) was widely known in Britain as a circus performer and impresario.

Smart, whose real name was Stanley, was the tenth child and third son of Billy Smart, Sr. His father was a showman and fairground proprietor, who bought a circus in 1946. The first Billy Smart circus was in 1946 at Southall ark. The circus toured alongside Smart's funfair; the tents blow down and the circus did 2 days in the open air. Smart made his circus debut with "Billy Smart’s New World Circus" as assistant ringmaster aged 12. He was soon performing with ponies and horses, but became best known later for his elephant acts. In one famous incident, he tamed a herd of performing elephants when they stampeded in the ring. At its peak, in the days before animal rights were a popular issue, Billy Smart's four-masted Big Top could hold over 6,000 people, with a show including hundreds of animals and performers.

Smart, together with his brothers, Ronald Smart and David Smart, took over management of the circus when their father died in 1966 at Ipswich. The circus ceased touring in 1971, but televised performances continued until 1983, drawing audiences of up to 22 million at its height. The Smart Brothers also developed Guernsey Zoo, selling it in 1972, and opened Windsor Safari Park in 1969 before selling it in 1977 (it is now the site of Legoland Windsor). He lost the sight in his right eye in 1978 after cosmetic surgery severed the optic nerve, ending his career as an animal trainer.

The "Billy Smart's" touring circus was revived by his brother Ronald and nephew Gary in 1993, but Smart concentrated on a second career as a property developer, based in Spain.

Smart was a familiar figure in the gossip columns of the 1950s and 1960s as a well-known performer and eligible bachelor: his publicised liaisons included celebrities such as Jayne Mansfield, Diana Dors, and Shirley Bassey. Smart married Hanna Magol, a German Pan Am air stewardess in 1973, five weeks after they met en route from London to Los Angeles. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in April 2004 and died the following year. He was survived by his wife and their son and daughter.

External links

* [http://www.billy-smarts-circus.co.uk/history.php Billy Smart's Circus]

Obituaries

* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1490581,00.html Obituary] ("The Guardian", 24 May, 2005)
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/05/24/db2401.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/05/24/ixportal.html Obituary] ("The Telegraph", 24 May, 2005)
* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,60-1624855,00.html Obituary] ("The Times", 24 May, 2005)