Lew Anderson, aka Clarabell the Clown, dies at 84

NEW YORK (AP) -- Lew Anderson, who captivated young baby boomers as the "Howdy Doody Show"'s final Clarabell the Clown, has died at age 84.
The musician and actor died Sunday in Hawthorne of complications of prostate cancer, said his son, Christopher Anderson.
Long mute as Clarabell, Anderson broke the clown's silence in the show's final episode in 1960. With trembling lips and a visible tear in his eye, he spoke the show's final words: "Goodbye, kids."
Though his fame as Clarabell followed him throughout his life, Anderson was also a success as a musician and bandleader. In recent years, his All-American Big Band appeared Friday nights at New York's Birdland jazz club.
Anderson, who lived in South Salem, is survived by his wife, Peggy, two sons, his stepdaughter and five grandchildren.
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