Where in the world am I today?: At sea aboard the STAR Princess heading towards Victoria, BC, Canada
Prologue: Flash back to the 1989 Edmonton International Street Performers Festival and a rather wide-eyed, new-to-the-festival-circuit, upstart Checkerboard Guy full of youthful arrogance, ignorance and enthusiasm. A spirited young performer who was taking the world by the horns and getting anything he could out of it… Enter Hokum W. Jeebs, long time veteran of variety circuit with performance chops galore. I watched and enjoyed Hokum’s show at the festival, but didn’t fully understand it’s greatness at the time… Actually I didn’t really understand him at the time either… Not sure I fully do now, but I do have an enormous respect for his encyclopedia-like knowledge of the variety arts and the contribution that he has made to it.
Stats:
Name: Professor Hokum W. Jeebs
Birthday: June, 16, 1923 June 16, 1950
Place of Birth: Syracuse, New York, USA
Started Performing/Working in the Industry: 1960
Discipline: Music/history/showman
Website: http://www.hokumshows.com
Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q38R0MtNHY
Venues Worked: Here there and everywhere
Hot 10 Questions:
- What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream and why? • Neopolitan– three great flavors one convenient slab
- Name one movie that would make it to your Top 10 all-time great films • The Music Man
- What was your favorite toy from childhood? • Cape Canaveral rocket launching set
- Who were your biggest inspirations when you got started? • Victor Borge, Spike Jones and The Syracuse Symphony
- From the world of animation what one character do you most identify with or see yourself in? • Mighty Manfred the wonder dog
- Name something that scares you. • ignorant people in positions of authority
- Apart from the entertainment industry, name one other job you’ve had. • Produce wholesaler
- What’s something you haven’t done yet that you’d like to try? • Owning a Jag.
- What’s your least favourite thing about being a performer? • The intrinsic non-stop BS coming at you from all sides and Hidden agendas.
- If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? • Nice to see you again!
The Nugget:
Pick one nugget of wisdom you’ve picked up from your career in Show Business to share with the World.
“Be honest and real; it almost always works. If it’s not working, step away gracefully. And never try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time, and it annoys the pig.”
–Professor Hokum W. Jeebs
Hokum is a wonderful musician and dear friend. If he had been born in 1923 his favorite childhood toy would not be the Cape Canaveral rocket launching set. So maybe it’s 1953, just a guess without asking him.
Nice site though
Doug
1923 was a joke. It popped out when I started that form. Perhaps it was the fantasy that I have been around longer than my body. Actually I was born in the almost exactly in the middle of the century.
If you’ve got an actual date I’d be happy to make the tweak…
today June 16. 1950
Today I heard from my friend Artis the Spoonman that Hokum was murdered yesterday (Feb. 15, 2011).
I hope Artis was misinformed, he says Hokum was his friend.
If it’s true, RIP Hokum, you’ll be missed.
Sad news for all who knew him… The Seattle Times had this report –
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014241170_stabbing17m.html
I remember Hokum from when he appeared on What Would You Do in the 1990s. It’s sad that such a talented guy came to such a violent end.
RIP, Mr. Jeebs.
I met Hokum at the Hotel Utah Bar in San Francisco during a Monday “open mike” night back in 1979.
I thought he was hilarious.
Insane, but hilarious.
He played “Cocktails for Tuba”; a duet on tuba and piano.
And also a version of Scott Joplin’s “The Entertainer” on a child’s upright toy piano.
I just recently learned of his death.
Farewell old friend.