044 06/26/93 Washington,DC
043 06/25/93 Washington,DC
042 05/27/93 Sacramento,CA
041 05/26/93 Sacramento,CA
040 05/25/93 Sacramento,CA
039 05/23/93 Mountain View,CA
038 05/22/93 Mountain View,CA
037 05/21/93 Mountain View,CA
036 03/25/93 Chapel Hill,NC
035 03/24/93 Chapel Hill,NC
034 03/22/93 Atlanta,GA
033 03/21/93 Atlanta,GA
032 03/20/93 Atlanta,GA
031 07/01/92 Hebron,OH
030 06/26/92 Chicago,IL
029 06/25/92 Chicago,IL
028 06/20/92 Washington,DC
027 06/18/92 Charlotte,NC
026 06/17/92 Charlotte,NC
025 06/06/92 Buffalo,NY
024 03/09/92 Landover,MD
023 03/08/92 Landover,MD
022 03/06/92 Hampton,VA
021 03/05/92 Hampton,VA
020 03/03/92 Atlanta,GA
019 03/02/92 Atlanta,GA
018 03/01/92 Atlanta,GA
017 09/05/91 Richfield,OH
016 09/04/91 Richfield,OH
015 06/28/91 Denver,CO
014 06/25/91 Bonner Springs,KS
013 06/24/91 Bonner Springs,KS
012 06/22/91 Chicago,IL
011 06/17/91 East Rutherford,NJ
010 06/16/91 East Rutherford,NJ
009 06/14/91 Washington,DC
008 06/12/91 Charlotte,NC
007 06/11/91 Charlotte,NC
006 04/05/91 Atlanta, GA
005 04/04/91 Atlanta,GA
004 04/03/91 Atlanta,GA
003 04/01/91 Greensboro,NC
002 03/31/91 Greensboro,NC
001 03/27/89 Atlanta,GA

Jamgrrl:  Tell me about your concert experience touring the country with the Grateful Dead.  What is one of your best
memories?

The Broken Clown:  The craziest memory was in between Richfield, Ohio and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  I met a Jewish
Rabbi on crack named Herbie.  His nickname was “The Jew Boy from Hell.”  He gave the guy camped with me a wooden
baseball bat and told him it was a miracle stick.  

Jamgrrl:  I see you wear dresses and pants on occasion as part of your costume. Which do you prefer?

The Broken Clown:  The dress!  Because it seems to get the most and best reactions out of people.

Jamgrrl:  Your name is “Hal, The Broken Clown.”  How did you become broken?

The Broken Clown:  I became broken after watching the “Outside Out” movie 13 times in a row.

Jamgrrl:  When exactly did the clowning start?

The Broken Clown:  When I was 3 years old - after hitting my head on the marble coffee table. The scar finally went away.

Jamgrrl:  What other clowns are your heroes?

The Broken Clown:  My clown influences are Chris Eliot, Wavy Gravy, Bozo, Alice Cooper, Homie the Clown, Ace Frehley,
and Krusty the Clown.

Jamgrrl:  How was life at home as you were growing up? Did Mom and Dad approve of your choice of career? And, are they
happy today with your success?

The Broken Clown:  Both of my parents were in the public education school system.  My Mom was an elementary school
librarian and my Dad was an elementary school principal.  We would travel all over the country during the summers of the
late 70s.  So by 1982, I had been to 49 states in America, every providence of Canada, and also Mexico.  The only State I
haven’t been to is Alaska.  They tell me to wait until I get to Atlanta to put the costume on.

Jamgrrl:  What’s up with all the tie-dye?

The Broken Clown:  I just love tie-dye.  It is so cool to look at.

           …now for a shameless self-promotion question…
Jamgrrl:  Some people want to know…who does your makeup? And, why do you change it so often?

The Broken Clown:  You!  Sometimes I also do the make-up myself.   I like to change the make-up and different stuff for
the costume in general.  I like to change it up so that people won’t always know what to expect.
Also if anybody wants to donate anything to the costume, they are welcome.

Jamgrrl:  Who is Izzy and why does he want to kill you?  What’s going on there?

The Broken Clown:  Izzy doesn’t have a home.  He’s always at Jake’s Toadhouse when I’m there…and he’s always trying to
steal my clown secrets.  Either he wants to be a clown too, or he just really hates clowns.

Jamgrrl:  Is it true that you are part alien?

The Broken Clown:  Yes, I am half alien half human.  My Mom was visited by an alien in 1968.   I am a product of that
meeting. my alien family came from the Planet Tie Dye in the Dark Star Galaxy.  I was born under a fire on the mountain
sign with a Piccaso moon rising.

Jamgrrl:  Oh, yeah…one final question. I heard you have an ex-girlfriend who tried to talk you out of going on tour for the
last four Grateful Dead shows. She wanted you to go to her going away party instead.  And she wanted to tell you good-bye
after the party. What ever happened to her?

The Broken Clown:  I told her in the Wal-Mart parking lot, “I’ll tell you bye now.”  Then I left for St. Louis.  I got to meet
Vince Welnick (Grateful Dead Keyboardist) under the arch on the fourth of July during the free Tom Jones concert.  
Anyway…She’s married in Utah.

END

Interview With a Broken Clown
Featuring "Hal, The Broken Clown," The Dunhams’ Official Mascot.
November 6, 2003.  Interview by Jamgrrl/aka genevieve cole.
jamgrrl.com

Check out what the Athens FlagPole had to say about Hal recently following a P-Groove show there in October.  Click Here.