THE BALLOON MAN

Posted: Sunday, 23 May 2010

Ricky The Clown Dies at 90
Southfield (WWJ) -- A well-known Michigan TV clown from the 1950's has died.
"A true clown at heart." That's how many describe Irv Romig, also known as Ricky the Clown. Romig, who died Sunday at the age of 90, was the star of the Ricky the Clown show for 13 years on WXYZ from 1953 to 1965. Ed Golick, webmaster of DetroitKidShow.com and a long time friend of Romig, says it was a very unique performance.
"Kids today don't really know the kind of show that we had back then and it was a live person like Soupy Sales or Ricky the Clown. They would hold cartoons. We really don't have anything like that any more. It's kind of become passe, and that's kind of a shame, Golick told WWJ.
And Golick says the character was very popular.
"He would, every year, appear in the Hudson's Thanksgiving Parade, along with the other kids show hosts of the time. And he would do fairs and carnivals and circuses also as Ricky the Clown," said Golick.
Romig died of natural causes.