The son of a former circus clown turned grocer and a cleaning woman, Red Skelton was introduced to showbiz at the age of seven by Ed Wynn , at a vaudeville show in Vincennes. At 10, he left home to travel with a medicine show through the Midwest, and joined the vaudeville circuit at 15. At 17 he married Edna Marie Stilwell, an usher who became his vaudeville partner and later his chief writer and manager. He debut ed on Broadway and radio in 1937 and on film in 1938. His ex-wife/ manager negotiated a seven-year Hollywood contract for him in 1951, the same year "The Red Skelton Show" (1951) premiered on NBC. For two decades, until 1971, his show consistently stayed in the top twenty, both on NBC and CBS. His numerous characters, including Clem Kaddiddlehopper, George Appleby, and the seagulls Gertrude and Heathcliffe delighted audiences for decades. First and foremost, he considered himself a clown, although not the greatest, and his paintings of clowns brought in a fortune after he left television. His home life wasn't completely happy--two divorces and a son Richard who died of leukemia at age nine-- and he didn't hang around with other comedians. He continued performing live until illness, and he was a longtime supporter of children's charities.

Used his "Guzzlers Gin" comedy sketch as his successful 1940 screen test for MGM. It was later filmed in Ziegfeld Follies (1945).Clowns were his lifelong trademark. His clown paintings have sold for upwards of $80,000.Skelton earned over $2.5 million annually at one time as an artist, after the cancellation of his variety show "The Red Skelton Show" (1951).His first wife, a former usher, negotiated his 1951 $5 million, seven-year Hollywood contract.His father used to be a circus clown.Interred at Forest Lawn, Glendale, California, USA, in the Great Mausoleum, Sanctuary of Benediction.In 1986, as Clem Kaddiddlehopper, he received an Honorary Doctorate of Foolology from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.He insisted on getting his television skits done on the first take, even if it meant ad-libbing around blown lines and failed props. In one famous incident on live television, he managed to ad-lib while a cow defecated on stage ("Not only does she give milk, but also Pet-Ritz pies!").Inducted into the International Clown Hall of Fame in 1989.Inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1994.He was a member of the Phi Sigma Kappa Fraternity.Served in the U.S. Army during World War Two (1944-1945).Star of "The Red Skelton Show" on NBC Radio (1941-1949) and CBS Radio (1949-1953).Was the 1961 recipient of the prestigious Connor Award given by the brothers of the Phi Alpha Tau fraternity based out of Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. He is also an honorary brother of the fraternity.A bridge was built and named after him that spans the Wabash River separating Indiana and Illinois on US 50, just outside his hometown of Vincennes, Indiana. Vincennes University is also building a Performing Arts Center in his memory.He often made reference to his second wife, Georgia, as "Little Red."In 1971, following a successful 30 year run on CBS (often placing among the top ten shows) his ratings finally slipped and "The Red Skelton Show" (1951) was quickly canceled by the network. He never forgave them. Television historians have long suspected that he was a victim of the 1971 television purge that took place after the success of "All in the Family" (1968) wherein CBS rid itself of all "nice shows" and "rural shows" in favor of shows with edgier subject matter.His daughter Valentina Marie Skelton was born on May 5, 1947. His son, Richard Freeman Skelton was born on May 20, 1948 and died on May 10, 1958 of Leukemia, just 10 days before his 10th birthday.He was extremely offended by "blue humor" and publicly made note of any comedian who used it because he felt that it cheapened the art of comedy. He very closely observed every skit that went on his show to make sure that it could not be twisted into a double double entendre.One of Red's writers filled in for him one night when he took a serious fall, injuring himself. That writer's name was Johnny Carson .In 1960 he purchased the old Charles Chaplin Studios on La Brea Ave., where he produced his weekly television shows. He established Red-Eo-Tape (Red-Tape) Video Productions. His three RCA TK-41 camera mobile units became the first live color production company in Hollywood.Although famous for his "drunk" comedy sketches, he never drank and was, in fact, allergic to alcohol.Got his first taste of the stage at "The Pantheon Theatre" in downtown Vincennes, Indiana, which is now being remodeled and the stage being named in his honor.He became well-known as an outspoken proponent for the addition of the phrase "Under God" to the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance.His brother Paul Skelton worked as an uncredited prop man on Irwin Allen series such as "Lost in Space" (1965).In a People Magazine interview late in his life, Skelton admitted that he fudged his officially accepted birth year, but did not elaborate. The year 1910 is sometimes given instead of 1913, but Skelton's biographer Arthur Marx claims that the comedian told close associates he was really born in 1906.He was awarded two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Radio at 6763 Hollywood Boulevard and for Television at 6650 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.Appears as the character Freddie the Freeloader on a 44¢ USA commemorative postage stamp in the Early TV Memories issue honoring "The Red Skelton Show" (1951). The stamp was issued 11 August 2009.Originally he had hoped to become a circus lion tamer, but gave up on that when he saw a man mauled to death by one of the big cats.He was a staunch supporter of the Republican Party.On May 10, 1976 his ex-wife Georgia Davis committed suicide by gunshot on the 18th anniversary of their son's Richard Freeman Skelton death.The day after his wedding on March 9, 1945 Salton checked into the hospital for a tonsillectomy.The pressures of entertaining troops, fulfilling his duties as a soldier, and heavy alcohol use resulted in Skelton's hospitalization for a nervous breakdown in 1945.