Charlie Cairoli - Cultural Legacy

Cultural Legacy

Charlie Cairoli's name entered popular usage as a reference for clowns in general. The 2004 Chumbawamba song Just Desserts (about pieing) explicitly compares Cairoli's clown behaviour to the anarchist viewpoints espoused by Peter Kropotkin. Similarly, when Garry Bushell criticised The Verdict, he said that "to call it Clown Court would be an insult to Charlie Cairoli".

Welsh pop group The Hepburns recorded a song entitled, "Charlie Cairoli's Ghost".

In July 2008, Blackpool Council cabinet member, Tony Williams called for the erection of a statue of Cairoli in the resort, saying, "I have always wanted a statue of Charlie Cairoli in the town; after all he was the most famous clown in the world and brought more visitors to the town than any other single entertainer. Charlie has never been truly recognised for his massive contribution to Blackpool and we should honour our local heroes."

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