The King Charles Troupe

The King Charles Troupe, created by Jerry King, hails from The Bronx, New York.[1] A unicycle buff all his life, Mr. King taught his young son, Charles, to ride a one-wheeler. Neighborhood kids soon demanded lessons and the unique basketball-unicycle act was born. The name of the troupe is a play on words of the son's name, Charles King.

Word spread about the Bronx unicyclers and, in 1968, the guys auditioned for Irvin Feld on a sidewalk near Madison Square Garden. The producer was delighted with the act and welcomed them into Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. They performed with the circus for 18 years and had the longest run of any act during the Feld era of the circus.[2]

References

  1. "Spin cycle: World's first black circus act still on a roll". Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  2. Lee Iverson, Jonathan (3 March 2015). "The Old Man, The Impresario and the Making of a Circus Icon". HuffPost. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
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