End of an Era: J.P. Patches Retires
Man, the times really are a-changing.
First, the doll museum is going belly up. Now, Seattle icon (can a terrifying old man in makeup be an icon? KOMO seems to think so, so we'll go with that) J.P. Patches, who's been clowning around town for more than 50 years, is retiring, marking the close to yet another chapter in The Big Book of Things Whippersnappers Just Don't Understand.
Patches, who is portrayed by 83-year-old Chris Wedes, hosted a variety show on KIRO which lasted an incredible 23 years, featured guests ranging from celebrities to politicians, and even won an Emmy. Patches is also depicted in the delightful/slightly terrifying statue near Google in Fremont, and has been the subject of more than one book. His retirement comes after over 50 years of entertaining.
In 2007, Wedes was diagnosed with blood cancer, however, he continued to perform for his many fans. Now, he told KIRO's Dori Monson earlier this month, he doesn't feel as youthful and able to perform as he once did. He later announced his official retirement.
Maybe it's because we're young, and by the time we were old enough to understand what clowns were all about, Tim Curry was already gearing up to replace all the humor of these bygone figures with horror. Or maybe it's because there is sometimes innately terrifying about a big, blood-red smile. Either way, when we watched this video, we felt less nostalgic and more nail-bitey and nervous.
Still, J.P. Patches, who represents a historic piece of Seattle's past, did bring delight to many Seattleites, with his vagabondish apparel and ability to make adults do silly things, and we wish all the best to Wedes, who has kept many folks young for many years.
His final performance is slated for September 17th at the Fisherman's Fall Festival at Fisherman's Terminal, though the City hasn't quite gotten around to updating information about it yet.
