Lew Anderson facts for kids

Lewis Burr Anderson (born May 7, 1922 – died May 14, 2006) was an American actor and musician. Many TV fans know him as the third and last actor to play Clarabell the Clown on the Howdy Doody show. He played Clarabell from 1954 to 1960. In the show's final episode in 1960, he famously said Clarabell's only line, "Goodbye, kids," with a tear in his eye. Jazz music fans also know Anderson as a talented jazz arranger and a leader of big bands. He was also a great alto saxophonist and played the clarinet.

Early Life and Music

Anderson was born in Kirkman, Iowa. His father worked for the railroad. Lew started playing his sister's clarinet when she no longer wanted it. By the time he was in high school, he had already started his own dance band. After a year of junior college, he earned a music scholarship to Drake University in Des Moines. He studied there for two years. Then, he left school to become a professional musician. He joined the Lee Barron Orchestra, a popular band from Omaha.

During World War II, Anderson served in the United States Navy. While in the Navy, he started his first band. He served on the USS Howard W. Gilmore (AS-16), a ship that helped supply submarines and other ships.

After the war, he joined the Carlos Molinas Latin Orchestra. He also wrote American dance music for them. In the late 1940s, he joined The Honey Dreamers. This was a singing group that appeared on radio and early TV shows. One of these shows was The Ed Sullivan Show. While working with this group, he met "Buffalo" Bob Smith. Bob Smith offered him the role of Clarabell on the Howdy Doody show. Anderson played Clarabell again on a short-lived "New Howdy Doody Show" in 1976-1977. He also appeared as Clarabell in the 40th anniversary special in 1987. For many years after, he made public appearances as Clarabell with Buffalo Bob.

Anderson also wrote many TV jingles in the 1950s and 1960s. These included jingles for Pepsi and Buick. His group, "The Honey Dreamers," performed many of these jingles.

The Lew Anderson All-American Big Band

After working for six years as Clarabell, Anderson went back to focusing on music. In 1989, he started a 16-piece jazz orchestra. This band was called The Lew Anderson All-American Big Band. They began playing on Fridays at a place called the Red Blazer, Too, in Manhattan, New York. The band played there for eight years. Many of the musicians in the band also had jobs in recording studios. Some played in the orchestras for Broadway musicals. The early evening time slot allowed them to play with Anderson's band. Then, they could still make it to their theater jobs for the 8 o'clock show.

The Lew Anderson Big Band later moved to Birdland Jazz Club in August 1997. They continued to play there on Friday evenings until Anderson's death. The band also recorded several albums, including Feelin' Good, Yeah and Fired Up.

Death

Anderson passed away in Hawthorne, New York. He died from problems related to prostate cancer.

On March 23, 2006, The Birdland Big Band played a special concert. This band was made up of many of Anderson's former band members. They performed and recorded a tribute to his life and music.