Emmett Leo Kelly (December 9, 1898 – March 28, 1979) was an American circusperformer, who created the memorable clown figure "Weary Willie", based on the hobos of the Depression era.
Career development
Kelly began his career as a trapeze artist. By 1923, Emmett Kelly was working his trapeze act with John Robinson's circus when he met and married Eva Moore, another circus trapeze artist. They later performed together as the "Aerial Kellys" with Emmett still performing occasionally as a whiteface clown.
He started working as a clown full-time in 1931, and it was only after years of attempting to persuade the management that he was able to switch from a white face clown to the hobo clown that he had sketched ten years earlier while working as a cartoonist.
"Weary Willie" was a tragic figure: a clown, who could usually be seen sweeping up the circus rings after the other performers. He tried but failed to sweep up the pool of light of a spotlight. His routine was revolutionary at the time: traditionally, clowns wore white face and performed slapstick stunts intended to make people laugh. Kelly did perform stunts too—one of his most famous acts was trying to crack a peanut with a sledgehammer—but as a tramp, he also appealed to the sympathy of his audience.
Emmett Kelly is an American musician from Van Nuys, California. He has contributed vocal and instrumental work to a variety of international musical projects, appearing on recordings by the likes of Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Azita, Joan of Arc, Angel Olsen, Edith Frost, Women and Children, John Webster Johns, Jeff Harms, Chicago poet/singer Marvin Tate, Matteah Baim, Japanese musician Takuma Watanabe, and Joshua Abrams. Kelly has toured in several of the aforementioned acts in addition to with Sonny Smith, Baby Dee, Beth Orton, and Terry Reid; and in other instances, performed live with Scott Tuma, Joan of Arc, and Pillars and Tongues. He is also one half of the band The Surf, The Sundried, and a founding member of Chicago's Psychojail.
Kelly is currently a member of garage rock musician Ty Segall's backing band The Muggers, formed following the release of Segall's studio album, Emotional Mugger.
Music
Emmett’s primary focus is his band, The Cairo Gang, which released its self-titled debut album on Narnack Records in 2006. The Disneyland Reform Party, a label started by Kelly and New York artist, Stasiu Tokarski, released 2008’s Twyxt Wyrd, which was subsequently released as a limited edition LP by Sheffield, UK’s The Blackest Rainbow. Following Twyxt Wyrd, Kelly released the home recorded Holy Clover EP on San Francisco’s Empty Cellar Records and Coventry, UK’s Tin Angel.
Don also shared his collection of dolls, Tom Clark gnomes and Emmett Kelly clowns as decorations throughout the home, and even started Carol on a collection of music boxes.
... Joe (Kelli) Kelly; Krystle (Ben) Kelly Aguilar, Matthew Kelly, Alex Kelly, Lauren (Phillip) Hansford Shera and Hilary Hansford, as well as great-grandchildren, Emmett Kelly, Theo and Adeline Aguilar.
Sean Canning for Adam McGreal, 40; Conor Lohan for Gavin Downey, 50; Jack Nevin (0-1) for Jack Tumulty, 51; Emmett Kelly for Paul Carey, 59; Jack Tumulty for Emmett Kelly, 61; Mark Richardson for Sean Canning, 72; Emmett Kelly for Caelim Keogh, 73.
The drinks were still flowing.” Given their established-veteran status — the HardQuartet’s fourth member is Emmett Kelly, who’s played with the Cairo Gang and with Will Oldham for years — these guys ...
The other guitarist is the quietly cool Emmett Kelly, of the Cairo Gang, Ty Segall’s band and regular goes-around with Will Oldham and Sweeney, with whom he riffs in Superwolves ...And I felt really great about how I sounded with Emmett.
DRACUT – Ten days ago, North Andover’s Emmett LaRosa took second place to Lowell’s JamesKelly in the team’s final dual meet of the season. On Saturday afternoon, LaRosa tied things up, as he was crowned the individual champion of ... .
DRACUT – Ten days ago, North Andover’s Emmett LaRosa took second place to Lowell’s JamesKelly in the team’s final dual meet of the season. On Saturday afternoon, LaRosa tied things up, as he was crowned the individual champion of ... .
“Dem Bums are bums,” he replied, and Mullin’s subsequent “Brooklyn Bum” cartoon, which depicted circus clown Emmett Kelly’s hobo persona “Weary Willie” as a personification of the failing team, came to define the fallow period ... .
Pádraig Pearses 1-11 Roscommon Gaels 1-9 ...Hyde Park ... Pádraig Pearses ... Subs. Seán Canning for McGreal (44), Jack Nevin (0-01) for Tumulty (55), Conor Lohan for Harley (58), Mark Richardson for Downey (62), Emmett Kelly for Colleran (62). Roscommon Gaels.
Fort Worth Weekly
31 Dec 2024
Fort Worth Weekly
31 Dec 2024