Lew Anderson


Lewis Burr Anderson was an American actor and musician. He is widely known by TV fans as the third and final actor to portray Clarabell the Clown on Howdy Doody between 1954 and 1960. He famously spoke Clarabell's only line on the show's final episode in 1960, with a tear visible in his eye, "Goodbye, kids." Anderson is also widely known by jazz music fans as a prolific jazz arranger, big band leader, and alto saxophonist. Anderson also played the clarinet.

Early years

Growing up
Armed forces
Post World War II
Anderson also wrote many of the TV jingles for the 1950s and 1960s, including for Pepsi and Buick. Many of the jingles were performed by his group "The Honey Dreamers."

Lew Anderson All-American Big Band

Red Blazer, Too
Birdland Jazz Club

Selected discography

Lew Anderson Big Band
Anderson died in Hawthorne, New York, from complications of prostate cancer.
On March 23, 2006, The Birdland Big Band — which at that time was composed entirely of his former band members — performed and recorded a tribute to his life.

Former members of Anderson's big bands