From Cherie Valentine's

"BACK YARD".

Circus Mourns Passing of Local Sideshow Performer - Matt Hely

May 1954 -April 2005

From Jessica Hentoff.

Matt Hely, St. Louis sideshow performer, passed away on April 21st 2005. Matt was not only a performer but was also a fan and historian of the American Sideshow and tented circuses. Born in St. Louis, he was number 4 in a family of 10 brothers and sisters and was the only one to run away and join the circus. Matt had been fascinated with magic and sideshows since he was about twelve.

Matt did the things he wanted to do without looking first for approval from the rest of the world. He wanted to run away and join the circus, so he did it. He wanted to work on the Mississippi River Delta Queen Riverboat, so he did it. He worked for Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus for 5 years, which he really enjoyed. He loved the elephants and became friends with Gunther Gebel of whom he always spoke fondly.

He got into the sideshow part of the circus world. He learned how to eat fire and light bulbs, stick his hand in a metal trap, sew a button to his arm, lay on a bed of nails, break a cinder block on his head,
 

and put a nail up his nose. He was quoted in the "Riverfront Times" (and later in several national publications through the syndicated column "News of the Weird") as saying: "When you find yourself eating light bulbs for a living, you know you've made some bad career moves." But he loved this work. He became a good friend of Bobby Reynold's and Bobby's family. He was instrumental in getting Bobby's show, The Bobby Reynolds Circus SideShow and Museum, to St. Louis for their run at City Museum.

Matt was a strong supporter of "The Circus Day Foundation/Circus Harmony, the social circus program I run that presents the circus and manages the circus school at City Museum. He was at one of our performances and we were having trouble with our cd player. I mentioned to the audience that we could use a donation of a cd player. The next day, Matt came with a cd player for us.

Another time, he saw an expensive, coffee table type book on the history of St. Louis somewhere. There were some pictures of my students, the St. Louis Arches, in the book so, he bought a copy for me. Matt was diagnosed with a rare sinus cancer, a couple of