GARDEN CITY, SC (WBTW) After 146 years on the road The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus performed their final show.
A St. James High School and Coastal Carolina graduate was part of that final act for “The Greatest Show on Earth”.
Stephen Craig or Stevey the Clown as he was better known is quite comfortable in front of an audience.
Before he joined the circus though he grew up in Garden City spending time on the beach working jobs scooping ice cream and at a pancake house.
His most recent employer was much different though then the ones he’d had in Horry County.
“It was kind of more like a destiny,” Craig said about getting the job. “I just had always had a drive to entertain people.”
He drove 16 hours for the first audition. After a call back to clown college he received a job offer and was almost immediately in the show.
Hundreds of shows in cities all across the country, Craig’s new home became the circus train.
“I live in a room that’s five foot seven by seven foot one,” Craig said. “I’ve got a mini fridge, toaster oven and microwave.”
He says it was a sad day when they found out this would be the end for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Although it was an honor to be a part of the final shows and still a chance to help create the special circus memory one more time.
“It’s the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’ but I always said we have the greatest fans on earth.”