Robert Nelson – The Butterfly Man
September 16, 1949 – August 27, 2012
On August 27th Robert Nelson, The Butterfly Man, legendary street performer, comedian and mentor passed away. We at the Busker Hall of Fame are putting together a special tribute episode of the podcast in his honour and we’ve figured out a way that you can contribute.
A special phone number has been set up that you can call to share your thoughts, feelings and memories about Robert and the influence he had on your life.
Though this is certainly a memorial, we’d prefer for it to be a celebration of Robert’s mischievous spirit that seemed to be the focal point of so many of the best stories from the world of street performing. Instead of focusing on the loss or a sense of sorrow, we’d ideally like to hear about the positive and often hysterical anecdotes that so many people seem to have about the way The Butterfly Man flittered his way through our world.
When was the first time you met Robert? Were you ever witness to one of his spectacular pranks? What’s the funniest thing you ever saw him do or say? Did you ever make him laugh? These are the stories we’d like to collect for this special episode and we hope you’ll be able to help us.
Got a story? A memory or a moment in time you’d like to share?
Call +1 416 613 0003
Leave your name, where you’re calling from and a story that celebrates the wicked charm, the humour and the delight that Robert shared while he was with us. We’re aiming to collect these stories until the end of September and put them into a special 60 minute episode for the podcast that we’ll release before the end of the year.
Thank you in advance for your contributions, we look forward to a hour long celebration to the man who gave our art form so much.
Cheers,
David Aiken
The Checkerboard Guy
Editor in Chief for Stories from the Pitch
PS – Special thanks to Alan Plotkin for the video he created to celebrate Robert’s Live. View it by clicking on this link – Alan Plotkin Video Tribute to Robert Nelson.
