Lucky got started as a professional
high diver at a very early age. He was just 13 years old when he began
working with Sam Howard's shows in 1957. He partnered with long-time
friend Jimmy Goodhead to develop a unique comedy act. They worked together for 15 years. He was an extraordinary show
setup man and served as the equipment specialist for Maxwell Associates
for many years. If Lucky was setting up your show, you knew the
equipment was safe and set up properly.
Lucky played music too.
He could play just about any instrument you set in front of him and, if
he wasn't diving, you could usually find him playing guitar and singing
songs in a nearby saloon.
High Diving into 8' Deep Tanks May 2009 Lucky
puts into perspective the challenge of performing an 80' high dive and
landing in a pool that is just 22' in diameter and, if you were lucky,
was 7 feet deep by the time all the water had been splashed out from the
previous acts of the show. From that height, an extra 6" sounds like a
very big cushion.
The Sam Howard Water Show How Sam kept the 'boys' in line May
2009 The insightful wisdom of water show producer
Sam Howard who in the early 1960s had a 'special' way of keeping his
boys on their toes and ready to perform at a moments notice. Lucky learned a great deal from Sam Howard and it was quite obvious how much he respected the man.
How To Test The Stability Of A World Record High Dive Ladder May
2009 Lucky has a comical recollection of the time
when the 'big boy' of the business, Dean Maxwell, climbed to the top of the world record
ladder at the Hall of Fame pool in Ft. Lauderdale to take some photos in 1977. Since Dean weighed in the neighborhood of 300 Lbs at the time, his ascent attracted a great deal of attention.
Shiner's
Circus Shows At 13 Years of Age
May 2009
Lucky
got his start with Sam Howard and worked with him in St. Louis MO
performing acts in the Shiner's Circus. He was just 13 years old when he
chartered this unique water show course in his life.
