Jobs can come in all forms – good, bad, easy, hard – but for Anthony Taylor, his job is simply fun. Taylor gets paid to put smiles on the faces of people, and since 1994, the Prattville, Ala., native has been traveling the country as Tone Tone the clown.
Taylor began his tenure as a clown for the Shriners, and his love for being silly grew from there.
“I got tired of seeing all the grief that is around us,” he said. “I got tired of being a grownup.”
In 1997, Taylor became a professional clown, traveling the United States, Canada and Mexico to make a living. In 2004, the stilt walking clown won third place in the World Clown Association’s competition, which was held in Albuquerque, N.M. Taylor said winning the award for parade ability is his highest achievement thus far.
But whether it’s achieving honors as a professional clown, or simply walking the midway at the South Mississippi Fair, Taylor has the ability to make people, of all walks of life, smile, and that is an achievement in itself. Taylor said that every person has a different situation, whether they are old or young, and he finds joy in helping people forget their problems, even if it is for just a brief moment.
“I’m not just for the kids. I’m for the elderly. I’m for the sick. I’m for everyone,” he said.
Taylor feels that being a man of good morals, and a man of prayer equips him to be a good clown.
“I apply nothing but good clean fun,” he said. “If it is foul, and vulgar it is not going to come out of my mouth.”
The fun-loving clown has a variety of routines he performs, from stilt walking, balloon twisting, to performing classic comedy routines. Taylor will be performing daily at the South Mississippi Fair in Laurel.
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