Clownvis Presley | |
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Clownvis Presley is a character who combines musical parody and comedy, created and portrayed by Michael Leahy, and partly based on Elvis Presley.
Leahy is the grandson of Earl Weaver. [1] Donning a customized and bedazzled jumpsuit, oversized pompadour wig, full face makeup, and a bulbous red nose, Leahy began performing as Clownvis Presley for parties and special events in 2006. Hiring himself out as “a Craigslist Clown”, many of Clownvis’ earliest gigs came from postings in the online classified ads.[ citation needed ] He moved to Hollywood in 2010. After gaining attention from television appearances, he performed frequently at comedy clubs in Los Angeles and hosted “Clownvis and Friends” at the Hollywood Improv monthly from 2011–2013. LA Weekly called his act "better than the real Elvis". [2]
Clownvis appeared on comedy bills with Tim Heidecker. [3]
Leahy appeared out of character on Judge Karen's Court , a BET television program, in 2010 as a plaintiff in a payment dispute over fees owed for Clownvis performances at several children's birthday parties. The defendant, agent Jason Thomas, refused to pay because of accusations of Clownvis being intoxicated during the parties. Judge Karen awarded Leahy $900. [4]
On June 30, 2010, Clownvis appeared as a contestant on NBC's America's Got Talent in episode 10 of season 5, entitled "Final Auditions".[ citation needed ]
Clownvis was invited back on the season 5 finale episode which aired on September 15, 2010, singing "I Gotta Feeling" with nine other America's Got Talent Audition All-Stars. Rock group The Goo Goo Dolls sported Clownvis T-shirts on this episode. [5] [6]
On March 16, 2020 at 9pm CDT, Clownvis began hosting a nightly Facebook livestream called Clownvis to the Rescue after his tour schedule was cancelled due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The Riverfront Times says of the show, "He’s a hybrid comedian / entertainer / singer and watching him is like witnessing an OG Branson act on mushrooms." [7] The characters on this show include an alien producer named Squeeb, a robotic dog named Robodawg, and a female robot named Brainina-95. The variety show is a mixture of comedy, music, and improv. [8] Many of the shows have running themes from episode to episode, such as a battle with the Magician's Guild for giving away trade secrets, scuffles with banjo players for hogging the internet bandwidth, the studio being infiltrated by ill-intentioned “Blogans”, a mysterious relationship with the internet overlords, Spectrum, and the consumption of a variety of beverages with their own themed music, such as “Jamaican Red Wine”. One episode featured guest Violent J of Insane Clown Posse for a phone interview. [9]
Clownvis has toured with acts Insane Clown Posse, Neil Hamburger, Mac Sabbath, [10] [11] Unknown Hinson, The Blasters, [12] and Supersuckers, amongst others. The first clown-themed tour he embarked on was the Clown Power tour with Mac Sabbath, in which he performed from Aug 28- Sep 14, 2016 throughout the midwest and eastern US. [13]
Following The Gathering, Clownvis emceed ICP’s Hallowicked tour that fall. [14] [15] Clownvis also emcee’d and hosted the American Music 40th Anniversary Tour featuring The Blasters, Supersuckers, and Wayne Hancock from June 28-July 13, 2019. He was invited back to The Gathering in 2019 in Springfield, IN from July 31-August 3. [16]
A juggalo is a fan of the hip hop group Insane Clown Posse or any other hip hop group signed to Psychopathic Records. Juggalos have developed their own idioms, slang, and characteristics. The Gathering of the Juggalos, alternatively known as just "The Gathering", is a notable annual festival held by juggalos and the artists that they support, which have included rap stars such as Busta Rhymes, Ice Cube, and MC Hammer; over its first eleven events (2000–2010), the festival drew a total attendance of about 107,500 fans, averaging nearly 9,800 per year, with a peak of 20,000 in 2010.
The Wraith: Shangri-La is the eighth studio album by American hip hop group Insane Clown Posse, released on November 5, 2002, by Psychopathic Records. Recording sessions for the album took place in 2002 at multiple recording studios throughout the United States. The album is the first of two albums representing the sixth Joker's Card in the group's Dark Carnival mythology. The album's lyrics describe the titular Wraith's exhibition of heaven.
Dark Lotus was an American hip hop group based in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Formed in 1998 as a side project of Insane Clown Posse and Twiztid, Dark Lotus was a representative of the horrorcore subgenre. From 1998 to 2017, Dark Lotus' lineup changed multiple times, with the most consistent members of the group being Violent J, Shaggy 2 Dope, Jamie Madrox, Monoxide and Blaze Ya Dead Homie.
Psychopathic Records is an American independent record label headquartered in Farmington Hills, Michigan. The label is most associated with the hip-hop music subgenres horrorcore and rap rock. The label was founded in 1991 by Alex Abbiss and hip hop group Insane Clown Posse. The iconography of a man with a meat cleaver has been used for years as a symbol of the group, its fanbase, and its associates.
Juggalo Championship Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion founded in 1999 by Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope, better known as the hip-hop duo Insane Clown Posse. JCW currently runs shows throughout the country. The video games Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This at Home and Backyard Wrestling 2: There Goes the Neighborhood feature numerous independent wrestlers from the promotion.
Joseph Frank Bruce, known by his stage name Violent J, is an American rapper, record producer, professional wrestler, actor, and part of the hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse (ICP). He is a co-founder of the record label Psychopathic Records, with fellow ICP rapper Shaggy 2 Dope and their former manager, Alex Abbiss. Also along with Utsler, Bruce is the co-founder of the professional wrestling promotion Juggalo Championship Wrestling.
Joseph William Utsler, known by his stage name Shaggy 2 Dope, is an American rapper, record producer and professional wrestler. He is part of the hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse. He is the co-founder of the record label Psychopathic Records, with fellow Insane Clown Posse rapper Violent J and their former manager, Alex Abbiss. Along with Bruce, Utsler is the co-founder of the professional wrestling promotion Juggalo Championship Wrestling, where he currently acts as color commentator.
The Gathering of the Juggalos is an annual music festival put on by Psychopathic Records, featuring performances by the entire label roster as well as numerous well-known musical groups and underground artists. It was founded by Jumpsteady, Insane Clown Posse, and their label in 2000. Described by Joseph Bruce as a "Juggalo Woodstock", the Gathering of the Juggalos spans five days and includes concerts, wrestling, games, contests, autograph sessions, karaoke, and seminars with artists. Over its first eleven events (2000–2010), the festival drew a total attendance upward of 100,000 fans.
Soopa Villainz is an American hip hop supergroup based in Detroit, Michigan. Formed in 2002, the group consists of Joseph Bruce, Joseph Utsler and Esham. Lavel was later added to the lineup, but left during the group's hiatus. Since 2018, the group has reverted to its original lineup. The songs of Soopa Villainz center thematically on nefarious actions conducted by comic book supervillains. The group went on hiatus in 2005. ICP announced at its 2016 GOTJ seminar that the group would be reuniting for 2017. During ICP's performance on July 21, 2018 a banner showing the groups logo was unfurled, teasing the return of the group.
Anthony Borcherding, better known by his ring name 2 Tuff Tony, is an American professional wrestler best known for his hardcore wrestling style. Throughout his professional wrestling career, Tony has wrestled for various wrestling promotions, including Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South, Combat Zone Wrestling, Big Japan Pro Wrestling, and Juggalo Championship Wrestling.
Stephen Robinson, known by the ring name Corporal Robinson,, is an American professional wrestler best known for his hardcore wrestling style, Robinson has wrestled for various wrestling promotions, including Juggalo Championship Wrestling, Combat Zone Wrestling, UPW Pro Wrestling, and Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South. He is a former four-time JCW Heavyweight Champion.
Over the years, a variety of bands have made up the main stage and second stage lineups of the Gathering of the Juggalos, a yearly festival held by Psychopathic Records.
Insane Clown Posse, often abbreviated as ICP, is an American hip hop duo. Formed in Detroit in 1989, ICP's best-known lineup consists of rappers Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hardcore hip hop known as horrorcore and is known for its elaborate live performances. The duo has earned two platinum and five gold albums. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the entire catalog of the group had sold 6.5 million units in the United States and Canada as of April 2007. The group has established a dedicated following called Juggalos numbering in the "tens of thousands".
Insane Clown Posse is a professional wrestling tag team currently competing in Juggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW) that consists of Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Both members began wrestling as single competitors in 1983 in their backyard wrestling promotion Tag Team Wrestling, later renamed National All-Star Wrestling.
Bloodymania III was a professional wrestling event produced by Juggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW), which took place at midnight on August 9, 2009 at Hog Rock in Cave-In-Rock, Illinois. Professional wrestling is a type of sports entertainment in which theatrical events are combined with a competitive sport. The buildup to the matches and the scenarios that took place before, during, and after the event, were planned by JCW's script writers. The event starred wrestlers from Juggalo Championship Wrestling, as well as guest wrestlers from the independent circuit. Unlike the first two events, Bloodymania III did not feature a buildup from a season of JCW's SlamTV! internet wrestling show. Instead, half of the feuds were rooted in previous years, while others were built up through live events or were not built up at all.
The Mighty Death Pop! is the twelfth studio album by Underground American hip hop group Insane Clown Posse, released on August 14, 2012. It is their second album to focus on the Dark Carnival since the conclusion of the group's original "Joker's Cards" series. The title character is the second in a set of six new Joker's Cards. It is the group's 29th overall release, and is the last album to date to feature long-time producer Mike E. Clark.
Robert Bruce is an American retired rapper and professional wrestler who would go on to become a Don for Psychopathic Records.
SlamTV! was an internet wrestling show, broadcast by the Insane Clown Posse's wrestling promotion Juggalo Championship Wrestling. It features color commentary by "Handsome Harley 'Gweedo' Guestella" and "Diamond Donovan '3D' Douglas", with "Luscious" Johnny Stark filling in whenever needed. Its initial run was 20 episodes, taped on a nationwide tour entitled "The Tempest Release Party". Until its creation, aside from three initial DVDs, the only way to view JCW was in person or home videos.
The Marvelous Missing Link: Found is the fourteenth studio album and the second part of the 3rd Joker Card in the second Deck of the Dark Carnival Saga by Insane Clown Posse. It was released on July 31, 2015 on Psychopathic Records, three months after its companion album Lost. It is the group's 35th release overall.
Fearless Fred Fury is the fifteenth studio album by American hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse, and their fourth Joker Card in the second Deck of the Dark Carnival Saga. Originally planned for release simultaneously with their twelve-track extended play titled Flip the Rat on October 26, 2018 via Psychopathic Records, it was delayed until February 15, 2019.