Two young IJA neighbors recall May in later years at home

I first heard of Bobby May in January, 1979, when visiting Joe Sullivan in Youngstown, OH. I had yet to attend an IJA convention or to see many jugglers, but when I saw a film of his act at the Scala in 1933, I knew I was seeing one of the best in the world.

 

Now, after attending three conventions and seeing many performers, I am even more convinced of Bobby's greatness. Both in ability and creativity, he was a trend setter.

 

I met Bobby in August, 1979, soon after he was released from the hospital following his second stroke.

Although his reflexes had been affected and his bronchitis limited his endurance, he could still juggle five balls and demonstrate other tricks. I was fortunate enough to live close by, and visited once or twice a month. Bobby showed me his juggling memorabilia, his films, and gave me a first-person account of juggling in this century.

 

His collection included mention of many of the great acts and their specialties. His own performances helped inspire Gran Picasso to become a juggler, much as Phil La Toska had inspired Bobby. Bobby was also instrumental in the development of Dick Franco's career.

 

Although he had other interests, Bobby loved juggling most. His sister, Antoinette. (who was herself a performer for 15 years) recalled Bobby coming home from his workouts at the gym and taking his props out of his bag to practice a little more before dinner.

 

Bobby was very generous. He shared his time and ideas with jugglers in person and through correspondence. He and Emily often offered a home away from home for jugglers and performers visiting the Cleveland area.

 

When I first met Bobby, I was excited about being able to talk with and learn from one of the greatest jugglers in history. After visiting him for two years, the enjoyment came from spending time with a humorous and friendly individual. I am going to miss Bobby because I am losing touch with a whole era of juggling and show business. But most of all, I will miss his friendship.

 Fred W. Mills Cleveland. OH

 

I feel lucky and privileged to have known Bobby May. I first met him two years ago, and spent many pleasant hours with him and Emily learning about juggling and jugglers. He loved juggling more than anyone else I've ever met, and his enthusiasm for it always showed.

 

His performing career started with amateur nights in theaters around Cleveland. He remembered that even at the earliest of these shows he was performing a four ball spread and four balls with one hand. At age 16, he got the idea for his headstand trick. He was also the first person to throw a small ball to his forehead and roll it from side to side and all the way around his head. Another feat Bobby performed was the juggling of eight balls. He would juggle eight for a while, then place one in a balance on his forehead and continue juggling the remaining seven.

 

A visit with Bobby was always fun and informative. Occasionally we watched old movies of him and other acts. He could describe an act from 60 years ago as if he had just watched it on television the night before.

 

If the weather was nice, we would go out in the back yard and do some juggling. When I knew him, he was not able to juggle very much himself, but he always loved to watch someone else. He would say when he particularly liked a trick, and would comment on the presentation of routines, offering suggestions on how they might be better, or how to time a move to get the best reaction from it.

 

He would also tell about tricks and gags that he had done or seen in the past, which would be as good as new if repeated today.

 

This past summer seemed to be an especially gratifying time for Bobby. or at least for those of us who knew him. The reception he got at the IJA convention in Cleveland, the standing ovations and continuous accolades from hundreds of jugglers, was one of the highlights of the week. It was great to see him get the recognition he deserved from other jugglers.

 

Bobby enjoyed his time at the convention. even though he needed several days of rest afterward. His only complaint was that he didn't get to see much juggling because he was always surrounded by friends and fans.

 

Another pleasant event this summer was a visit from Johnny Gray, who worked with Bobby in his act on and off since 1929. Johnny had never been to the United States and hadn't seen Bobby in 20 years. He decided to visit some newly discovered relatives in Canada, then realized he was within a day's drive of Bobby's home. Johnny and his wife visited Bobby and Emily for three days, and spent much of the time reminiscing about the past. It was amazing to sit and listen to them recall names and details of not only their contemporaries, but of acts from before their time.

 

We wanted to dedicate last summer's IJA convention to Bobby. but he turned down the idea and said we should instead honor Stan Kavanagh, an Australian juggler who died some years ago.

 

The death of Bobby May first left me with a feeling of personal loss; the death of a friend. Those of us who met him realize how lucky we were to have known such a kind and generous man. But Bobby will also be missed by people who never knew him. He was an inspiration to everyone, and the loss of this great human being has already been felt throughout the world.

Alan Howard Cleveland Heights, OH