Art Cervi, Detroit TV’s Bozo the Clown in the 1960s and ’70s, dies at age 86
Art Cervi shaped musical tastes of Detroit baby boomers as talent coordinator for the dance show “Swingin’ Time,” then found a new career by hiding in plain sight behind Bozo the Clown’s bulbous red nose and entertaining countless thousands of younger fans.
Cervi, who reached an enormous audience that never knew his name, died Monday at his home in Novi. He was 86.
Several Bozos appeared on Detroit television between 1959 and 1980. Cervi played the character the longest — from 1967 until 1975 on Channel 9 (CKLW-TV) and then on Channel 2 (WJBK-TV) until he, and Bozo, left the