Category: Circus Life

  • I did not lose my virginity to a clown

    I did not lose my virginity to a clown

    This tidbit as well as some other important things about growing up on the circus can be found in my interview on the Kenny and Kylie Show.  I was their guest yesterday on the weekly podcast hosted by Kenny from Culture Monk and Kylie from The Journey of Kylie. There’s also some chatting about on-line dating…

  • The Truth About Circus Life

    Every spotlight was on Gunther Gebel-Williams when the tiger lunged at him and took a swing.  I was nine, and perched on my dad’s drum case watching.  Massive claws connected on the inside of his elbow and ripped the flesh all the way down to his wrist.  The audience gasped in unison. Gunther quickly played it off by…

  • Elephants, Hula Hoops and Drag Queens.

    Circus showgirls ride the same elephant until one of them dies or retires to Sarasota.  Or until one of them puts together a hula hoop act and moves to Vegas.  In this case the showgirl was my step-mother.  She landed a spicy gig at The Desert Inn and she and my dad left the circus.…

  • Dopamine Party in Tights.

    I spent my childhood summers traveling with my Dad on the Ringling Bros. Circus.  Naturally I wanted to grow up and be The Queen of the Rings. Or the Queen of Trapeze. But my dad said no.  It’s too dangerous and he wanted me to “go to high school and have a normal life.” So I grew up and became…

  • The Birthday Song.

    It’s this dude’s birthday today. I sure wish he was still around, but I’m super grateful for the time I had with him. Coolest guy ever. Happy Birthday, Dad.

  • Queen of the Rings.

    The first time I saw her she was waiting for her cue in a full-length lavender sequined cape trimmed in white feathers, and a tiara perched above her perfect pony tail.  The arena went dark, I heard my father’s drum roll, and she stepped out onto the track where spotlights from every angle lit her…

  • Murder and false eyelashes.

    The paper read:  Local Couple Runs Away and Joins the Circus!  My father had been named the new the drummer for Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus, and my bombshell of a new stepmother had been named “local gal.”  Together they moved into a 10 x 10 stateroom on the circus train, and rode off…

  • Leopard Piss and Chivalry.

    My dad and I were hurrying past the leopard cages on our way back to the bandstand when one of those giant cats unleashed a fountain of steamy urine right at my head.  He shoved me out of the way and snapped his tuxedo jacket over his head in one quicksilver movement.  The stream hit him right in the back…

  • Happy Father’s Day

    A picture is worth 1,000 words, so here’s my first and only 5,000 word post. This last photo is how I remember him best:  doing what he loved most, drumming for Ringling Bros. What a fucking cool dude. Happy Father’s Day.

  • Tightropes and Juicy Fruit

    It was Sal’s job to catch the high-wire performers if they fell.  He was equipped with 200 extra pounds of his own self, a hand towel, and a gymnastics mat. Catching a falling tightrope walker is an impossible task, but Sal took his role very seriously.  He paced under the wire watching their every move,…