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