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We’ve all heard the old saying about keeping up with the Joneses. Well, here are two

Jones that I challenge anyone to try to keep up with.

Tony and Nikki Jones are clowns and ambassadors of what laughter or joy is all about. Tony and Nikki reside in Mansfield, Georgia, part time, and on the road almost full time where they share their homes with what they call their “baby”—a big, old English bulldog, Boo. They spend about 280 days of the year on the road doing conferences,

conventions, and clown schools along with clown performances and festivals. With this schedule they have little time to slow down, but if you have ever met them, you know they will always take time to visit with other clowns about what they hold dear, clowning and their love of the art.

Nikki was born and raised in Walnut Grove, Georgia. “That is where I spent my whole life until I married Tony.” She goes on to say, “I started clowning when I joined a new church. At first, I was in the choir but got into a lot of trouble. I would cut up and

“misbehave.” I was in the choir for about a month when they told me I needed to join

the clown troupe! I went to my first clown meeting and the rest is history.” Nikki’s clown is known as LaLa. She got her name from her mom who had a little nick name for her which was “LuLu.” Her niece couldn’t say her name when she was little, so she called her LaLa…and it stuck!”

The chemistry between Tony and Nikki on stage is wonderful. It is like they know where each other is going with a routine before they even start. It is like they are inside each other’s head. She says what she likes best about working with Tony is the spontaneity.

“It’s always neat to see how Junior views the things.” Tony and Nikki have a stage presence that just seems to flow. When Tony was asked his favorite part of working

with Nikki he said, “The total uncontrolled spontaneity of our performance. The only

other person I have had that with is my son. With Nikki, it never gets stale. It is constantly changing. We never do the same thing twice. I like working with my best friend. It is the most natural feel since I started clowning.

”Tony started his in 1986 as a Shrine clown. He made visits to the Shriner’s Children’s’ Hospital and was one of the first guys in his unit to go to clown school, which was Jim Russell’s school in Birmingham, Alabama in 1988. After that, he was on fire for clowning and it seemed as if nothing could stop him. “I wanted more and more,

reading everything I could get my hands on, and performing every chance I got.” Along

about that same time, he attended Clown School in Lacrosse, Wisconsin, where he met

many clowns who are still his friends today. Some of his first clown friends who were

big influences in his life are Susan Kierbow, Buddy Lamb, and Larry Putman. Later Betty Cash, Vince Pagliano, and Leon McBryde came along as great friends who “pushed me and mentored me in my clown growth,” said Tony. In 1990 he had the opportunity to “run off and join the circus” and he did. Tony spent 1 years traveling and performing as the resident clown on the Royal Hanaford show and 1 year with the Williams Altrop circus. When ask Tony said it was an experience he would not trade for any thing but would not go back to that life of any thing either. “Circus life if rough but teaches you a lot, especially how to inter act with a audience that changes every day.”

In 1993 with the love of the road still in his blood Tony went to work with a company that sell and manufactures clown costumes. In 2002 Tony and Nikki formed “TnT Costumes and Clown Supplies,” which now makes a line of high quality clown costumes and sells a complete line of costumes and clown supplies at numerous conventions, conferences, and clown schools around the world.

Tony’s introduction to ministry clowning was on March 3, 1999, when he attended a clown meeting with Nikki and Angela Clegg (a good friend) Tony says his introduction to clown ministry, “has taught me patience, humility, and has tempered me. I feel humbled. I am nobody except what He (God) makes me. Through those things Nikki and I have come full circle in our professional relationship.” Through clown ministry Tony and Nikki began their outreach and training for other ministry clowns. He gives God credit for his vision of the ministry and what is being done through it. The TnT Clown Camp was founded by Tony and Nikki in 2002 and is decided to teaching the art of clowning to interested students from around the. The camp is also dedicated to clown ministry but every day all aspects of clowning are taught for those whose focus may not be ministry. There are classes on magic, ballooning, face-painting, comedy, hospital, and many more; all of these classes are taught with the focus on excellence and professionalism.

When Tony was asked, “What is your vision for the future of you and your clowning?” he responded, “Reaching and teaching people to learn more and more about the art form of clowning while at the same time I will learn from them.

Although Tony was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas, he said he must have lived in thirty different houses over the years and was always searching for happiness. Nicer clothes. A bigger house. Looking for and wanting something more. Nothing seemed to fill that void no matter what he got or what he did. “Through Nikki and God, my eyes were opened and that allowed me to open my heart. I now see there is a great deal more to life than what money will buy. Love what you have. I have a new appreciation for what I have.” On a final note, Tony had this to say, “I’ve been clowning a long time, but I really didn’t start clowning and living until I met Nikki and God.”

Tony & Nikki Jones

Interview

How did you meet?

Nikki met Tony in Georgia. Tony met Nikki in South Carolina. Tony was an instructor at the National Drama Fest (now known as the Creative Arts Festival) and Nikki was one of his students. The Drama Fest is a large conference and it is difficult for the instructors to get to know the students. This was in the fall of 1997. The following summer Tony

again was an instructor at Pinky’s Clown School in South Carolina. This conference was much smaller, and Nikki was able to get to know her instructors better and the instructors were able to get to know the students better. That is where we met, but years later we started performing together, and one thing led to another, so here we are.

Do you have any “clown kids?”

We have so many clown kids that we claim, they live all around the world (don’t tell their

parents). But as far as kids of our own, God has not given us any at this time. We have talked about adopting but not yet.

Have you ever had a fun argument as clowns and how did you keep a

straight face?

No, Junior and LaLa don’t argue. Junior is not smart enough to start an argument.

Were you married as clowns? Tell us about it.

No, but Junior was the minister for his best friend’s clown wedding. We are married as

people; our clown characters are not the marrying kind.

Do your clown characters differ in relationship than your real life

characters?

We differ from our clown characters in every way. Junior and LaLa are more like

brother & sister or really good friends. They could never get involved romantically.

What has been your biggest challenge as a married couple who clowns?

The hardest thing we’ve faced has been that both of us are very independent and our being together 24/7 has been a real adjustment for us.

Do you volunteer together?

We do a number of volunteer events together, but we also do some separately. Our

favorite one to volunteer for is the Christmas program in the inter city of Atlanta at Bowen Homes. This is a very rough part of Atlanta, not the kind of place I would probably go if I were not a clown. This is an event put on by Pat & Terry Powell of Street Wise Ministries. They do a large program with singing, entertainment, and the message of God. After the program every child walks away with a gift and the parents all get clothing and the family is given a complete meal large enough for everyone in their family. This may sound easy, but this year there were over 700 children in a crowd totaling 1200 in attendance. To see all those smiling faces and filled wishes make events like this worth all the time we give volunteering any time we can.

What goal do you have as married clowns?

Our goal is to travel around the country and abroad teaching the art of clowning and at the same time performing and bringing laughter to all that we meet.

As clowns, do you share a unique niche in the clown world?

We have a unique niche in that we are very fortunate to be able to travel at will to

anywhere God leads us. There are so many clowns who have other jobs, and clowning is

their part-time work. We don’t have another job to fall back on—if we don’t clown, we

don’t eat, and we like to eat. Feel free to buy us dinner and you will find out how much.

Given the opportunity, would you pie your spouse and why?

LaLa would definitely pie Junior, but Nikki would not pie Tony. Junior would probably

do something to deserve getting pied. Junior would never pie LaLa, for he is afraid of what she would do to him in retaliation.