Lawyer to Clown to Children’s Musician: Robert’s Unusual Journey

Lawyer to Clown to Children’s Musician: Robert’s Unusual Journey Andy Levine 22:56

Robert Markowitz was a criminal defense attorney in Palo Alto, California. But the work caused him a great deal of stress and he started developing all sorts of physical ailments. So he quit and headed to Mexico to escape the job he hated. When he finally returned to the United States, he was 37-years-old, broke and living with his mother back in his boyhood home in New York.

Going through the help wanted section of The New York Times, he came across an advertisement for a company that would train you to be a clown. So he became “Bobo, The Clown” and he started performing at children’s birthday parties. “Bobo the Clown” eventually made the transition to “Robert, The Guitar Guy.” He has been performing for young children — mostly 3, 4 and 5 year-olds — for over 25 years now.

His latest move — authoring a debut novel called “Clown Shoes.” The story is a fictionalized narrative of Robert’s major life experiences. And like his performances, the book is fast-Moving, funny and highly-entertaining. We hope you’ll order a copy on Amazon.

Andrew Levine Podcaster

Andy Levine is the creator and host of “Second Act Stories.” A fascination with storytelling and second acts, triggered the launch of this podcast. He lives in Ocean Grove, New Jersey about five blocks from the Atlantic Ocean. He manages a specialized marketing firm for his day job. He is always on the lookout for a good story and has traveled to Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Virginia to conduct face-to-face interviews with podcast guests.

Scott Merritt is the co-host of “Second Act Stories.” He’s always had a natural curiosity about people and the paths they’ve followed to find success. After developing concepts for other podcasts focused on people and their careers, Scott was invited by Andy, a former colleague, to join “Second Act Stories.” A native of New York, he is now based in Atlanta, Georgia.