Cooky the Clown (Roy Brown) and Bozo (Bob Bell) on WGN-TV between 1976 and 1977.
On Jan. 18, 1922, Bob Bell, the first portrayer of Bozo the Clown, was born in Flint. Bell began his career in show business when he returned to Flint after a stint in World War II. He joined a community theater group, which led to a job as a radio announcer. Eventually, Bell began hosting a show as Bozo in Chicago in 1960. He retired in 1984. He died in 1997.
Source: Michigan Every Day