Grock

Grock , born Charles Adrien Wettach, was a Swiss clown, composer and musician. Called the king of clowns and the greatest of Europes clowns, Grock was once the most highly paid entertainer in the world.

Grock was born in Loveresse, a village in the Bernese Jura in the Canton of Bern. He started early as a performer, learning musicianship and acrobatic skills from his father. When a caravan of Roma passed through, he joined them, learning more instruments and gaining confidence with them. In 1894, he debuted with Fiame Wetzels traveling circus. He become a clown, working first with Brick in 1903, adopting the name Grock, and then the famous clown Antonet . This second act was developed with the aim of making the transition from circus to music hall stages, which were more lucrative. While not initially successful, Antonet and Grock did manage to secure a London engagement in 1911. Refining their performances according to audience response, Grock came to dominate the act, and they eventually split up.

Source: Wikipedia