MID-JULY, 1913, A YOUNG WOMAN GAVE BIRTH TO HER FOURTH SON. HER HUSBAND HAD DIED TWO MONTHS EARLIER. HE HAD WORKED AS A CLOWN, TRAVELLING WITH TENT SHOWS AND CIRCUSES.
THE YOUNG MOTHER TAUGHT HER SONS ABOUT THE LOVE OF CIRCUS PEOPLE. CLOWNS AND TENT FOLKS WERE THE ONLY REAL FAMILY THEY HAD. THE YOUNGEST, RICHARD BERNARD, LEFT HOME BEFORE
HE WAS A TEENAGER TO TRAVEL WITH A
MEDICINE SHOW AND A CIRCUS.
YOUNG RICHARD SOON WAS CALLED "RED" BECAUSE OF HIS CARROT-COLORED HAIR. THUS, "RED SKELTON", A CLOWN AND STAGE ACTOR WAS CREATED. HE TRAVELED ON MISSISSIPPI SHOW BOATS, BROADCAST ON RADIO, AND PERFORMED IN MOTION PICTURES. TELEVISION WAS HIS REAL TOOL WHICH SPANNED TWENTY CONSECUTIVE YEARS.
RED SKELTON WAS NOT JUST A COMMEDIAN AND CLOWN. HE WROTE MORE THAN 5,000 MUSIC COMPOSITIONS, INCLUDING SIXTY-FOUR SYMPHONIES THAT WERE PLAYED BY ARTHUR FIEDLER, VAN CLIBURN, DAVID ROSE, AND THE LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA.
HE WROTE 4,000 SHORT STORIES AND FULL-LENGTH BOOKS. HIS "PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE" EARNED HIM 42 AWARDS.
IT WAS READ TWICE INTO THE
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD.
HE WAS A GIFTED PAINTER. HIS ORGINAL ARTWORK WAS DISPLAYED AT THE CENTER ART GALLERIES IN HONOLULU, HAWAII. CLOWN ARTWORK HANGS IN SHRINER HOSPITALS.
HE WAS THE OFFICIAL SHRINER CLOWN
PICASSO SPENT HIS ENTIRE LIFE TRYING
TO RECAPTURE THE INNOCENCE AND SENSITIVITY OF A CHILD.
RED SKELTON NEVER LOST IT.
HE MADE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE LAUGH FOR SEVENTY YEARS.
