Larry Harmon, 83, passed away at his home Thursday due to congestive heart failure, his publicist told The Associated Press.Harmon portrayed Bozo the Clown and, although he was not the original Bozo, he turned the character into a show business staple.
"Bozo is a combination of the wonderful wisdom of the adult and the childlike ways in all of us," he told the AP in a 1996 interview.
Harmon's wife of 29 years, Susan, said Thursday her husband was a perfect fit for the character: "He was the most optimistic man I ever met. He always saw a bright side; he always had something good to say about everybody. He was the love of my life."
Harmon licensed the character, allowing television stations to hire actors to play Bozo.
"You might say, in a way, I was cloning [Bozo the Clown] before anybody else out there got around to cloning DNA," he told the AP.
Harmon trained more than 200 Bozos to represent him at local stations or events.
"I'm looking for that sparkle in the eyes, that emotion, feeling, directness, warmth," he said about the criteria he sought in future Bozos. "That is so important."
Harmon was also responsible for Bozo's distinctive look of orange hair; a big, red nose; upside down U-shaped eyebrows and the red, white and blue costume.
"I felt if I could plant my size 83AAA shoes on this planet, [people] would never be able to forget those footprints," he said.
Karen Raugust, executive editor of The Licensing Letter, a New York-based trade publication, said in 1996 that a typical character only remains popular for three to five years.
'It takes a lot of effort and energy to keep a character that old fresh so kids today still know about him and want to buy the products," she added. "Harmon's is a classic character. It's been around 50 years."
Harmon credited Bozo's personality and characteristics with his popularity.
"Bozo is a star, an entertainer, bigger than life," he once said. "People see him as Mr. Bozo, somebody you can relate to, touch and laugh with."
Harmon is survived by his wife, son and three daughters.
