At 95, ‘Creeky’ is the world’s oldest performing clown

A 95-year-old Montana man is proving that you’re never too old to clown around.

Floyd Creekmore — also known affectionately as Creeky the Clown — has nabbed a Guinness World Record for being the oldest performing clown on the planet. He’s been entertaining people at fairs and rodeos since the age of 10, and he insists he has no plans to turn in his red rubber nose any time soon.

“Right now I feel good enough to clown so I’ll just keep it up until I can’t!” Creekmore said.

Creekmore has been a clown with the Al Bedoo Shrine Circus in Billings, Mont., since 1981. The circus raises money to help disabled and burned kids receive free treatment at Shriners Hospitals for Children.

The last person to hold the title of “oldest performing clown” was Andrew Beyer, or “Bumbo the Clown,” who set the record in 2004 at age 86 and retired three years ago at 91.

Creeky lives in Billings with his wife of 70 years, Betty. Before retiring from his jobs in the non-clown world, he worked as a rector and then as a construction worker. He and his wife have three children, five grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

The eternally young clown owns about a dozen clown costumes, some of which were sewn by his wife and his niece. He says his favorite get-up is a yellow and orange costume with matching orange hair and a yellow bowler hat.

Creeky’s grandson, Tom McCraw, talked with The Associated Press about how gratifying the clown role has been for his grandfather.

“Creeky understands that to make a child laugh, to make a child smile, that’s what life’s about,” McCraw said.