Newspapers / University of North Carolina … / Sept. 10, 2014, edition 1 / Page 4
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THE BLUE BANNER I WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 10, 2014 I THEBLUEBANNER.NET Kenny “The Clown” Cowden Street performer and Florida native Tell me a little bit about how you started performing? “I started with a unicycle. My brother wanted a unicycle, so he got one for Christ mas and I learned how to ride it, and then I learned how to juggle a ball bat.” “Then Paul An derson, a teacher for Ringling Brothers, kind of polished me up and made me his ap prentice. That was in Hollywood, Florida. “I’ve been do ing this for the professional as well, last 26 years now. Sometimes, I do a street-performing jug gling act right across the street too. It’s not so busy tonight, so I’m just doing the balloons. I do a lot of Disney characters and stuff like that as well." “If you look too professional, you look like you’re paid to be here. If you look too bummy, then you get pocket change like a bum.” How would you describe your style? “It’s kind of downy and streety - street clown. You want to kind of look like you’re working the street, but you kind of want to look partly Tell me about why you came to Asheville ? “I was a traveler. ,I was doing this all over the country and all over the world. When I came to Ashe ville, 1 saw a lot of people that I knew from the road, from Florida, from New England. To this day, I see people that I met on the road from somewhere. I always say to people, T’m not surprised, but it’s good to see you.’ “It’s not the most profitable compared to Boston, Boulder and Burlington, but I love it here and this is where I live now. “I’m kind of in denial that I live somewhere because by nature I am a no mad, a traveler.” Photos by Larissa Karr - Contributor Kenny Cowden entertains as a street performer. By Larisa Karr - lkarr@unca.edu - Contributor Many stories lurk throughout Asheville, whether they be behind the Vaudevillian jazz-folk played by buskers around Pritchard Park, the colorful businesses decorated with funky, hand-made crafts or the laughter echoing from a patio as locals and tourists alike enjoy delicious beer. John “Little John” Canham Tell me aboutyourself: “Well, I grew up in the Army, so I’ve lived all over the world and have spent most of my life in New En gland , Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont. “I ran the largest his toric preservation firm in New England for 25 years and used to do a lot of fundraising and inner-city restorations. “I came here about nine years ago with my oldest daughter. I need ed surgery because 1 had a broken back. We searched up and down the East Coast for a de cent place for me to live Newport, Rhode Island native and we came to Ashe ville and we stopped at Izzy’s downtown." “This town has so much to offer, I mean, I have at my house a listing of soup kitch ens on my wall so I know where I can go everyday and get a meal. I can always go here in this town. You can’t say that about a lot of places. ” How would you de scribe your style? “People here call me ‘hippie John.’ I go by ‘Little John.’I’m just an old hippie, you know? I’ve been around for ever. I’m as old as dirt as I was bom in 1955 and feel fortunate that I lived through the times that I did, through the 1960s and ‘70s. “I still hold those values to be true - that all people are creat ed equal. I got my pot shirt on today, but normally I do a lot of shopping at Indo and I wear clothes that peo ple consider to be alter nate style, whatever.” “I’m just a kind, getting-old man and I love talking to peo ple. It’s my favorite thing, you know? I’m a very friendly person. That’s how I would best describe myself. What do you love about Asheville? “I love the music, the friendly people and the dogs. Look at how many dogs there are. It’s amazing. I live in the inn across from the Orange Peel. “I have a room there and my kids are grown. I have a 28-year-old and a 25-year-old, so I just need a room for myself and I feel safe in this town. “I’ve not been re ally confronted with hostility except maybe once, once or twice.” John Canham came to Asheville nine years ago. INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY:
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