BOBBY MAY (20 Feb. 1907 - 7 Nov. 1981) was arguably the world’s most accomplished juggler.
Born Ludwig T. Mayer, he was raised on E. 131st St. in what is now GARFIELD HTS., and attended
EAST TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL.
He made his first stage appearance in 1922 at the age of 15. The following year, he appeared at
Cleveland's LUNA PARK on a bill that also featured a young tap dancer named BOB HOPE, who
was four years his senior. By the mid-1920s, May was a regular on the RKO Keith Orpheum
vaudeville circuit, performing with partner Joe Cody as The Comedy Mad Hatters. He soon
resumed solo work, playing vaudeville shows at Cleveland’s PALACE THEATER in 1928 and 1929;
KEITH’S 105 TH ST. THEATER in 1930, and the STATE THEATER in 1932. In the early 1930s, he also
toured Europe, with stops at theaters across England, France, and Switzerland. By the end of his
career, he logged performances in 35 countries, frequently sharing the stage with the likes of
Eddie Cantor, the Marx Brothers, Maurice Chevalier, Sonja Henie, Ginger Rogers, Fred Allen,
and Jack Benny.
VAUDEVILLE had faded by the early 1930s, but May continued doing live shows across the US and
Europe, often appearing as the headliner—unusual for a juggler. His many local appearances
included the Palace Theater in the ’30s and ’40s, the CLEVELAND ARENA in 1942 (on roller
skates), and restaurant/theaters such as the Golden Dragon (1943) and Herman Pirchner’s
Alpine Village in the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s. Throughout his career, he also played night clubs and
toured with several circuses. He entertained US troops during WW II. May’s last public
appearance was in 1962 at the STATLER HOTEL in Cleveland.
Even today, many of May’s juggling accomplishments remain unduplicated. One was standing
on his head atop a table while juggling five balls and then bouncing three off the surface of a
drum. Another was juggling while ice- and roller-skating, keeping aloft balls, clubs, hats, and
even cigarettes. Without skates, he could pitch a cigarette and a flaming match from behind his
back and catch them in his lips. Keeping both in his mouth, he then lit the cigarette without
using his hands.
May married Amelia Fabian in the 1940s and, for the rest of his life, the couple lived on E. 238th
St. in EUCLID, OH. They had one son. May died of heart failure on Nov. 7, 1981 at what is now
EUCLID GENERAL HOSPITAL in Euclid, OH. He is buried in CALVARY CEMETERY.
Christopher Roy