Billy Baker
I've made a weaving beeline to where I am today. From the first whack of the hand of life in a Texas Rio Grande Valley hospital to my Smoky Mountain home in Tennessee, it has been a baggy pants, funny-face free fall through a child's fantasy that's provided a wonderful wage and taken me many miles. It's been a unique, foolish fool's drama played out on many stages, rails, roads, and rings. It's thundered doom and damnation that I couldn't hear above the roar of the crowd. It has inspired humor-logical lightning that brightened up my own should as well as doubters that laughed and left amazed at the power of human natures most healing medicine. I'm a clown.... It's all I ever wanted to be.
From the very beginning, I always loved laughter and music. My father, a building contractor, possessed a beautiful singing voice that I remember as he would shave in the morning. My mother, was a make do homemaker, that encouraged their only child to follow what he felt in his heart. I grew up in southern Texas, near the Mexican border. After my parents divorce, my mother and I moved to the foothills of the Ozark mountains in her native Arkansas, where I graduated from high school. It was in college, that I discovered my talents for performing. I ended up receiving a scholarship, and was 18 hours away from graduation, when I applied and was accepted to attend the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey College of Clowns. The first time I put on those big clown shoes, I knew in my heart that I had found my life's adventure. I hit the road with the circus and never looked back.
Ringling Bros Clown Alley 1971
I started writing songs on the mile long circus train, as we traveled across America. After several years, I took a short break from Ringling, and traveled with a duffel bag and a guitar case, singing my songs at colleges, bars and festivals. I met and got to know many of my musical heroes, like Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, and Jerry Jeff Walker. Jerry Jeff honored me by recording two of my tunes as title tracks for a couple of his most popular albums. I lived in Austin, Texas and Nashville for brief periods of time, before hearing the call of the circus and returning. It was there that I met my first wife. After another season with the show, we were married and decided that we would move to Hollywood. It was there that my daughter, Katie was born in 1980. While in Hollywood, I did many television commercials, continued to write tunes, wrote and directed videos and enjoyed the camaraderie of many friends that went on to be known names in the entertainment field. I also worked for many stars as a private bartender at functions in their homes. Some of the folks that called me from time to time were William Shatner, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Regis Philbin, Barry Manilow, Dionne Warwick, Burt Reynolds and Tom Jones. I truly enjoyed Hollywood, but didn't want to raise my daughter in Los Angeles. When Katie was 4 years old, I received an invitation to come to the Smokies. It was then that the greatest chapter of my life began.
Besides clowning on stage at Dollywood, The Comedy Barn and my own show, I have appeared in over 100 comedy television commercials. Here are a few photo's that are used when auditions arise.
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In 1991 I appeared in a series of funny Public Service commercials that won an Emmy award on WSM TV in Nashville. That year, I received a call from Sam Lovullo, the producer of the famous Hee Haw show. He told me how much he loved those comedy spots, and asked me to attend an audition for the show. Out of 300 folks auditioning, I was one of 5 asked to join the production. It was a great experience being a member of the cast. It was another dream come true as I got to work with some more idols like Grandpa Jones, Roy Clark, Minnie Pearl and the entire Cornfield Country crew.
Perhaps, the highlight of my career came in 2001 from the International Clown Hall of Fame in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. To my surprise, for a lifetime of creating laughter, I had not only been nominated by my peers, but selected to be inducted into that revered shrine of foolishness. Words can't explain the honor and what was felt when I realized that my picture would be hanging amongst some old friends that believed in me, encouraged me and wrapped their wings around me when I first joined Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey. I only wish that my mother and father could have been alive to share the joy. There were genuine tears of happiness that rolled down my cheeks that night.
The highlight of my life is my family. I am nothing without their love. I'd love to introduce them to you. They too, think i'm silly sometimes, but they love me anyway.
Lastly, I want to thank you for being a fan and a friend. The greatest perk and benefit that a clown receives is the love of strangers. Thank you for your love.