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Emmett Kelly

clown
Born: 12/9/1898
Birthplace: Sedan, Kansas

A clown who made his character of Weary Willie a living character in the circus scene. Through the 1930s, he developed the act with various circuses eventually landing a place with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus in 1942. There he would wander around the circus rings in a tattered clown outfit, wearing a truly woeful expression and trying to sweep away the spotlight. After he retired from the circus in 1956, he appeared in various media including film, television, and a sixteen year stretch at clubs in the Lake Tahoe and Reno area.

Died: 3/28/1979

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