Biographical Info:
Hi-Pockets was born in May 1927 in Louisville and grew up near Churchill Downs. In 1945 he graduated from St. Xavier High School and served in the Army through the end of 1946. Hi-Pockets married in 1947 and has two grown children. In 1976 his wife started clowning as Daisy and he went along on many of her clown gigs. The following year he decided he too was "hooked" and began as Hi-Pockets the Clown.
In 1979 Hi-Pockets served as President of Clowns of America's Alley 20. He was a member of the Derby City Clown Guild and attended many different clown conventions in the US. While in the Clown Guild, Hi-Pockets enjoyed making many of their props and performing at Iroquois Amphitheater. During one of these performances he was presented with a certificate by Julian Carroll naming him as an Honorary Kentucky Colonel. In 1979 Daisy and Hi-Pockets were invited to participate in the Inaugural Parade for Governor John Y. Brown. Hi-Pockets received a key to the city of Louisville by Mayor Jerry Abramson and was instrumental in developing an instructional Clown Make-up application display for Louisville's History & Science Museum. In 1982, after 30 years of employment with Dupont, Hi-Pockets retired. He lost his wife Daisy in 1993 following several bouts of cancer. Some weeks later an old friend saw Hi-Pockets on the Crusade for Children and called to express her sympathies over the loss of his wife. The following year Hi-Pockets remarried and after a little persuasion "Lady Hi" became his clowning partner!
Over the years Hi-Pockets has participated in numerous parades (including 20 Kentucky Derby Festival Parades), helped to raise money for various charities, and assisted in training several Clown Classes. We were honored to have him serve as the VIC for the 2001 Pegasus Parade. Thank you Hi-Pockets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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