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John
Bradshaw Passed Dec. 21st 2008 in
Richmond, VA.
BRADSHAW,
John O., 61, died December 21, 2008. He
is survived by his mother, Oza R.
Bradshaw; wife, Elisa Bradshaw; and two
daughters. Service will be held Friday,
January 2 at 11 a.m. at Episcopal Church
of the Redeemer, 2341 Winterfield Rd.,
Midlothian, Va. In lieu of flowers,
please send contributions to Operation
Smile at www.operationsmile.org or call
1-888-OPSMILE.
Memorial
Service for John Bradshaw
Click
here to read John's Interview on
Sideshow World
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Remembrance
John
Bradshaw, 1945-2008
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In a
multithreaded life that
frayed out Dec. 21, John
Bradshaw wove together
two disappearing folk
traditions. He was a
consummate blues
guitarist, schooled by
the long-gone legends of
the music. He was also
one of the last of the
authentic sideshow
talkers, a magician of
words who charmed
passersby into a
carnival world of freaks
and wonders, willing and
able to eat fire or
hammer a long nail up
his nose as the
professional situation
required.
Bradshaw and his nephew,
Ron Curry, a longtime
sideman and founder of
underground jazz and
world music group Hotel
X, gained a measure of
fame in part by opening
for old-time fiddler
Speedy Tolliver on a
WCVE concert broadcast
from In Your Ear
studios. They also once
played a concert heard
by perhaps a million
people in the
Philippines.
Bradshaw’s extraordinary
acoustic guitar skills
developed during the
rich local coffeehouse
scene of the 1960s,
particularly at the
Crossroads, a
long-vanished folk and
blues venue in the
basement of a Franklin
Street church. Bradshaw
steeped himself in the
tradition, seeking out
the surviving architects
of the music, Son House,
Bukka White and Skip
James, among others.
Bradshaw once brought a
Son House record to Son
House’s home, Curry
recalls, only to find
the impoverished
musician had no way to
play it. So Bradshaw
bought him a record
player, and remembered
the old bluesman
listening to his own
music and crying.
During
Bradshaw’s blues
performances, Richmond
audiences occasionally
got a glimpse of his
sideshow talent. He was
a well known “talker” —
outsiders call them
barkers — weaving a web
of confidence and
hyperbole to draw
passersby into carnival
attractions. For six
seasons, from 1986-91,
the Bradshaw Circus of
World Curiosities
revived a Coney Island,
N.Y., tradition with an
old-time mix of magic,
freaks and human
oddities. The star of
his Coney Island show
was the armless and
legless Otis Jordon, aka
“Frog Boy,” aka “The
World’s Only Human
Cigarette Factory” —
able to roll and light a
cigarette using only his
lips.
Bradshaw was not only
Jordon’s fast-talking
promoter, but also his
best friend and
caretaker. He shared his
family’s seasonal Coney
Island apartment with
his limbless headliner.
It has
been a long time since
blues heard only by the
kerosene lamplight of a
Delta roadhouse, or that
people would line up for
the unironic thrill of a
traveling freak show
featuring the dim
illusion of a pretty
girl’s head attached to
a stuffed spider’s body.
Bradshaw brought the
shadowy past into the
brilliantly lighted
present, making himself
one of the last of a
vanishing breed. He was
the genuine article.
Above
article is from the
Richmond Style - Dec 31,
2008 |
The following is an excerpt
from The World's Only an article
by Nick Manhattan
John
Bradshaw ran the ten-in-one
sideshow that worked the summers
there. One of John's performers
was Otis Jordan. Otis was billed
as "The World's Only Human
Cigarette Factory" As John would
say in the bally to the crowd
gathering outside the sideshow
entrance on the boardwalk, "It's
amazing folks. Watch him roll a
cigarette, light the match and
then smoke that cigarette using
only the lips of his mouth."
During the
off season, John sold Ginsu
Knives or something like that.
He was probably a good salesman,
but he thrived on his sideshow
carny life more than anything.
He loved bringing them in. The
over-the-top hyperbole, winking
at the crowd even as you
emphatically proclaim, "It's all
true, folks!! It's all real!!"
He'd take the "slightly
dishonest" buck over the
so-called honest one any day.
But this
presents an incomplete picture
of John Bradshaw. To some he may
have looked more like an
exploiter than promoter of Otis
Jordan. But even more than just
a promoter, he was Otis's
caretaker and close friend, his
family away from home.
During the
season, Otis lived with John and
his family in an apartment they
rented in Coney Island. Otis
needed someone to take care of
him most of the time. He could
roll his own cigarette, but
there are many things someone
with no arms or legs needs help
with throughout each day. I've
seen a video in which an
ignorant interviewer asks Otis
how he made a living in the
off-season. Straight-faced, Otis
answered, "I drive a truck." But
in fact, even though Otis had
actually outfitted a car he
could drive, in the off-season
Otis had no income and was
completely dependent on friends
and family. By the time Otis
reached Coney he was 50-some
years old and had been around
the sideshow block a few times.
In less politically correct
times he had been billed simply
as "The Frog Boy."
One
late-summer day in 1991, John
was carrying his youngest child
up West 12th Street toward the
Boardwalk when a stray bullet
from somewhere pierced the
baby's leg. So after a six
season run, "Bradshaw's Circus
of World Curiosities" was
finished with Coney Island. A
short time later Otis died of
kidney failure at family's home
in Georgia. |
JOHN BRADSHAW
Unusual is the best way to describe the
path of John Bradshaw. John spent much
of his career as a sideshow talker, but
always found time to play acoustic blues
guitar along the way. He was fortunate
enough to have spent time with Son
House, Bukka White, Elizabeth Cotten and
Sleepy John Estes to name a few. He
plays 6 and 12 string guitars as well as
National Steel guitars.
It has been my
pleasure to have share many jackpots
with John, he is a great showman and a
great man. John was always happy to
share and loved the show.
The last time I
visited with him he was enjoying his
time doing his jam auctions. We have
lost a good friend, an amazing man and a
great showman. John and his family you
are in my prays.
I know he will be
on that Great Midway in the sky.
John Robinson
Sideshow World
It was a shock and
great sadness that we learn the demise
of John Bradshaw.
Throughout his adult life he had been a
close friend of Chris Christ, Dick
Johnson, and myself. He had been working
as a recruiter, and organizer with
Chavez in the formation of the farm
workers union in California, when he
contacted us and came to Gibsonton to
join us in the spring of around 1970 (I
don't remember the exact year). It was
his first experience with a sideshow. A
very intelligent man who quickly learned
all aspects of the sideshow. He was a
fine performer, a very good manager,
caring husband and father, who has many
friends who will miss him, for his
willingness to assume tasks, for his
lasting patience, and fine humor. Our
deepest sympathy goes out to his family.
May God
Rest His Soul,
Sincerely, Dick Johnson - C M Christ
- Ward Hall
I'd known
John Bradshaw for years before I
actually met him face to face,
and when I and fellow SHOCKED
AND AMAZED! honcho Kathleen
Kotcher finally did, it was at a
fair south of Richmond. John was
running his
sideshow-by-way-of-jam-auction
at that point, and I learned
more about how a show - any show
- could be run that afternoon &
evening than I'd probably
learned in all my years watching
shows before or since. I told
him then that he was one of the
few showmen about whom I could
honestly say he could sell you
the clothes you were already
wearing, but that was John. Some
years later, I finally got
around to asking him if he'd be
willing to come up to Baltimore
to my (now-defunct) American
Dime Museum and perform, as all
the showfolk did for that place,
for free. And he drove hours up
from Richmond, got stuck in
horrible traffic, made it to the
show just minutes before he had
to be on, and when I thanked him
over and over for doing what
he'd just done in the spirit of
"the show must go on" and for
doing it for nothing, to boot,
he looked at me and with that
huge smile that never seemed to
leave his face, told me "I was
wondering when you were going to
ask me."
Rest easy,
John.
James
Taylor
John we talked
just two weeks ago and I really cant
believe you are gone! You will be
remembered as a true showman who was
always honest caring and always
willing to tell stories! You were a
great friend to me and I will really
miss you!
Kevin Gerrone
I just heard
and I can't believe it. John was a
super nice man and was willing to
share any knowledge he had. When I
was a kid, I went to a Sideshow at a
fair down south. I had never been in
a Sideshow before and I couldn't
wait to see the show. I'll never
forget seeing Otis Jordan do his
Human Cigarette Factory act!!! After
the show, I talked to Otis and he
literally changed my life forever
(he told me, "Son, if I can do this
in my condition, You Can Do
ANYTHING!")....it's why I own the
Freakshow now . This show was John
Bradshaw's show, so for me, he was
an important person who supplied my
first Sideshow experience. Not too
long ago, I bought Otis Jordan's
Human Cigarette Factory banner from
John...I also bought his Coney
Island Sideshow entrance banner.
John couldn't have been cooler about
selling them and sharing his stories
of the good old days. He had nothing
but good things to say about
everyone, especially all the folks
in Coney Island. I don't know what
to say other than we have lost a
Great Showman and a Good Man. I hope
you Rest In Peace John and I know
you are already Framing the BIGGEST
CIRCUS SIDESHOW IN THE SPIRIT
WORLD!!!!
All my Love to
you
Todd Ray
John
was the very first outside talker I
ever saw. He was out at Coney Island
USA in the early-mid 1980's. He also
worked the inside. I must have seen
the show at least a hundred times as
a kid, and I bought a wonder mouse
or a Chinese finger trap every time.
Not to mention coming up and looking
at Madam Twisto in the blade box and
paying for that extra added
attraction...the one that's not
included as part of the show...the
feeding of the snake.
I'll never forget his booming voice
and Southern drawl. This was so
foreign to a kid from Coney.
Rest in Peace.
Abby
I was a friend
of John's, we met in 2007 on the way
to the Sideshow Gathering in
Pennsylvania. I got a ride there
with him and Bob Blackmar, and on
that ride he told story after story
of life on the road. As a young
sideshow performer myself, it was a
very inspirational car ride. I ended
up rooming with him at the hotel and
there he showed me his old scrap
books from the days when he ran his
own show, told me stories about Otis
Jordan and even gave me one of his
old pitch cards and some magic
wonder mice on top of that! When he
spoke about the old shows and Coney
Island, I felt like I was there. I
felt like a little kid again, seeing
a sideshow for the first time.
During the course of the next few
days we talked and joked, gossiped
about what was going on in the world
of sideshow, we talked about Jam
Auctions and pitching and his dream
of moving to the Philippines and
pitching there. He gave me his "seal
of approval" that weekend and it has
really meant a lot to me.
John had such a colorful history, he
was friends with most of the
sideshow greats, he knew so much and
had so many stories to share. Sadly
the stories he didn't get to tell,
won't be heard. The ones he did tell
though, will be forever remembered
by his friends and passed down to
other generations.
I will always remember John as a
passionate, caring person that had a
hunger for the strange side of life.
He affected so many people in his
lifetime, including myself. He was
an inspiration to me and everyone in
the business. John Bradshaw, will be
remembered as the man that started
the Coney Island Sideshow, a show
that is now world famous. Without
John's contributions to sideshow,
who knows what shape the business
would be in today, he helped peak
the publics interest, therefore
giving guys like me a job. The
sideshow community thanks him for
that.
John will live on in the hearts of
showmen, sword swallowers,
blockheads, glass eaters and fire
breathers, historians and fans of
the strange.
His legacy
will continue.
Brett Loudermilk
I first met
John in about 1975. I went on the
road with and worked on his sideshow
for two seasons. We stayed friends
al this time. I had just talked to
John on Friday December 19th and he
passed away on Sunday December 21st.
All was good with him that Friday.
His wife Elsa called me Saturday and
said John was in the hospital and
wasn't expected to live another day.
John's kidney was failing.
John made being on the road fun for
his crew everyday. Anybody reading
this know how hard it is to be on
the road. We had barbecue's behind
the tent from time to time. It was
great. I remember at one spot we
were setting up the banner line.
John keep spotting it and making us
move a pipe back..another one
forward. Finely he said. "If any
mark doesn't to come in to our (it
was always our and never his show)
show for a lousy buck because this
damn banner line can't get straight
than I don't want to do a show for
them anyway....drive the stakes in"
John told me
this story. I won't add names. He
was working a show and the show had
some kid that picked up trash around
the tent and was a "gofor" One day
before the show open the owner told
the kid to do something. Well the
kid didn't move fast enough for the
owner, so the owner hit the kid and
the kid fell down.
John went over and decked the
owner. Than he stood over the owner
and said "If I ever hear or see you
hit this kid like that again I'll
beat the shit out of you.
Than John took the kid to town and
bought him lunch.
That's the kind of guy John was. If
he saw wrong doing he stood up to
the plate and fixed it no matter who
it was that was being picked on.
I had just sold a
shrunken head for him. He was
having some financial problems. I
don't know what his wife and
daughter are going to do. So here is
their address and I ask you all to
rally to their lost and help them
out with anything you might be able
to send them. That's right I'm
asking for a "ding" well not a ding
but what ever noise a bill makes
going into a can...$5.00
$10.00...$20.00 or an old rusty
$100.00.... please give what you
can. Lets do this for John.
Elsa Bradshaw
2025 Denton Dr.
Richmond Va. 23235
Come on
guys...its Christmas.
Don Driver
Mr. Bradshaw had a way about him
that just fascinated others........
He had a Magic about him that very
few have........
He could sell anything to
anyone.........
Everyone Loved him........
One of the best, nicest and talented
showmen ever to grace the midway
........
John Bradshaw you left us way to
soon.........
Someone MUST had needed a lift and
to be entertained elsewhere........
With much Love,
John Strong
I have pieced together a
rough bio of John's sideshow
life with a few pictures at:
John Bradshaw joined Ward
Hall and Chris Christ's
World of Wonder show in
Gibsonton FL in around the
spring of 1970. In 1973
Bradshaw worked on Dick
Johnson's unit of the
Hall/Christ sideshows where
Sandra Reed was sword
swallower. In 1974 and 1975,
he was with Whitey Sutton on
Strates with Sandy Reed.
In 1976, Bradshaw started
his own 10-in-1 without a
sword swallower, but hired
Sir Frances Durran/Francis
Doran in 1977. Doran worked
2 seasons in 1977 and 1978,
until his health began to
fail. In 1979 Diane Falk
started as Bradshaw's "Bally
Girl", learned sword
swallowing from Doran, and
began filling in as
Bradshaw's sword swallower
later in 1979 under the
stage name "Lady Diane". In
Ohio, fat man Big John
Conners and his wife Sandra
Reed Conners joined
Bradshaw's show. Sandy Reed
was originally hired as an
albino lecturer, not a sword
swallower, and she only
performed sword swallowing a
few times when Frank Doran
was ill. At the Midsouth
Fair in Memphis in 1979,
Bradshaw added knife thrower
Eddie Miller, who had a
flashy knife act using
butcher knives, and who also
filled in as sword swallower
on a few occasions. The 1979
Bradshaw Sideshow line-up
included 110 feet of
banners, most by Snap Wyatt,
John Bradshaw as Inside
Talker, "Sir Frances Duran"
as sword swallower, "Lady
Diane" as Bally Girl and
part time sword swallower,
Otis Jordan, Albert Short,
Eddie Miller, Big John
Conner as Fat Man, and Sandy
Reed Conner as Albino
Lecturer and later sword
swallower.
Rear - L
to R - Emmett the Alligator
Man - William Durks, - Knife
Thrower - Pricilla the
Monkey Girl - John Bradshaw
-
Albert-Alberta
Front
Row - L to R - Midget - John
Connor - Sandra Reed Conner
- Whitey Sutton on Strates -
circa 1974
Bradshaw also worked with
sword swallower Jackie Lynn
on Beatty-Cole Bros Circus
in 1981. Over Labor Day
weekend 1985, Bradshaw was
booked as "The One Man
Sideshow" at Sideshows by
the Seashore at Coney
Island, hired Louisa Jatoba
as his snake charmer, and
was a huge success. Bradshaw
was then booked at Coney
Island again for the 1986
season and created
"Bradshaw's Circus of World
Curiosities", a traditional
10-in-1 sideshow. Diane Falk
worked as Bradshaw's sword
swallower again in 1989 and
1990 at Sideshows by the
Seashore at Coney Island.
Tisha Vudie worked as
Bradshaw's sword swallower
and Human Pin Cushion at
Coney Island in 1991 and in
the 1992 Bradshaw road show.
Bradshaw left Coney Island
in 1991 after his young
daughter was shot in the leg
by a stray bullet near their
home in Far Rockaway, and he
took the sideshow banners
with him.
In 1996, Bradshaw taught
sword swallowing to Natasha
Veruschka, and later sold
his swords to her. Bradshaw
continued to run a small
show on the road for a few
years, but retired from
sword swallowing. Bradshaw
spent his last days in the
intensive care unit at
Chippenham Hospital in
Richmond VA where he died of
kidney failure on December
21, 2008. He is survived by
his wife Elsa and a
daughter.
Please keep John's family
in your thoughts and
prayers. I know Natasha,
Todd, and others of you knew
him well, and our thoughts
and prayers go out to you as
well.
If any of you go to the
memorial service, please
pass on our condolences from
the rest of us.
Please let me know if you
have any corrections or
additions to the above
information, or an obituary
with more complete
information.
Photograph John working his Jam
Auction at the Chesterfield VA.
County Fair - courtesy of Brian
Ezzelle
Background - Banner painted by Mark
Frierson
Background Bally Recording for Otis
Jordon by John Bradshaw -
©2008 copyright All rights reserved
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