Baton Bob is a costumed street performer

Busking

Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...

 created by Bob Jamerson and currently based in Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...

. Baton Bob used to live in St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...

 and in both cities is a significant local personality. He typically marches down urban sidewalks dressed in a tutu and occasionally a tiara. As his name suggests, he almost always twirls a baton as well. His stated goal is to amuse and cheer passersby, to "lift people’s spirits and put a simple smile on people’s faces during their daily routine". He occasionally calls himself the "Ambassador of Mirth".

Origin

Jamerson grew up an only child on a farm in Martinsville, Virginia

Martinsville, Virginia

Martinsville is an independent city which is surrounded by Henry County, Virginia, United States. The population was 13,821 in 2010. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Martinsville with Henry County for statistical purposes...

. As a boy, he became enthralled with band majorettes at college football games. When he went to high school, he asked to be his school's first male baton twirler. Wearing a cheerleader's sweater and white pants with gold stripes, he often was tempted to outperform the majorettes. Jamerson eventually moved to St. Louis and worked as a flight attendant, but was laid off after the 9/11 attacks

September 11, 2001 attacks

The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...

 (he now works as a floral designer). To counter his depression, a psychologist recommended he do things that brought him joy and so Jamerson began twirling his baton in public again. He expanded his wardrobe of transgressive costumes and marched through city streets several afternoons every week. Although some have gossiped that he is "crazy", there is no serious indication that this is true.

Baton Bob's motive to entertain is often tied to the current state of the world. Though he created his character to raise peoples' spirits after the 9/11 attacks, other events have caused him to continue. When interviewed by CNN, he made reference to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

War in Afghanistan (2001–present)

The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...

, and the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004

2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...

.

Events precipitating his departure from St. Louis

Press reports indicate the public in Atlanta highly appreciates Baton Bob. Though he was appreciated by some, he annoyed others in St. Louis as well. Several exceptional events precipitated his departure.

• During the summer of 2003, an observer mooned the character. Both men mutually escalated the situation until the unidentified observer struck Baton Bob in the cheek, an injury that required five stitches. The observer was later arrested by St. Louis detectives and prosecuted.

• The following summer, when he marched with Missouri NARAL
  NARAL Pro-Choice America
  NARAL Pro-Choice America , formerly the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws, then National Abortion Rights Action League, and later National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, is an organization in the United States that engages in political action to oppose...
  
   in a suburban 4th of July
  Independence Day (United States)
  Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
  
   parade, police manhandled him in an attempt to remove him from the procession. Though the police allowed Baton Bob to remain in the parade, the incident prompted a complaint that alleged the police also swore and called him names.

• Later the same summer, Baton Bob was arrested while participating in a Kerry/Edwards
  John Kerry presidential campaign, 2004
  The Presidential Campaign of John Kerry, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts and the nominee of the Democratic Party challenged Republican incumbent President George W. Bush in the U.S. presidential election on November 2, 2004. Ultimately, Kerry conceded defeat in the race in a telephone call to Bush...
  
   rally at St. Louis Union Station
  St. Louis Union Station
  St. Louis Union Station, a National Historic Landmark, is a passenger train terminal in St. Louis, Missouri. Once the world's largest and busiest train station, it was converted in the early 1980s into a luxury hotel, shopping center, and entertainment complex...
  
  . He swore at a police officer who stepped on the train of Bob's $500 wedding dress, prompting an arrest for trespassing. The arrest proved to be the proverbial last straw, as Baton Bob left St. Louis for Atlanta soon thereafter.

Performances

Baton Bob usually marches solo in a tutu, though he also wears thigh-revealing miniskirts, leotards, and occasionally a wedding dress. Often a whistle complements the ensemble. When actor Christopher Reeve

Christopher Reeve

Christopher D'Olier Reeve was an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, author and activist...

 died, Baton Bob wore a Superman

Superman

Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...

 costume in tribute, though he has also dressed as Superwoman and Spider-Man. Other costumes include a majorette's uniform and an Indian headdress. In St. Louis he typically marched down city streets and sidewalks (centering around the Central West End

Central West End, St. Louis

The Central West End is an affluent neighborhood in St. Louis, Missouri, stretching from Midtown's western edge to Union Boulevard and bordering on Forest Park with its outstanding array of free cultural institutions. It includes the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis on Lindell Boulevard at...

) and occasionally participated in parades. In Atlanta he frequently performs at and around Piedmont Park

Piedmont Park

Piedmont Park is a urban park in Atlanta, Georgia, located about northeast of Downtown, between the Midtown and Virginia Highland neighborhoods. Originally the land was owned by Dr. Benjamin Walker, who used it as his out-of-town gentleman's farm and residence...

.

He was featured in Atlanta magazine as one of the city's top personalities and was in an ad campaign for the Georgia Aquarium. In June 2006, he appeared in "The Comedy of Errors" for the Georgia Shakespeare Festival. He led the parade of performers at the beginning of the play and entertained the crowd for a half-hour before the show. Baton Bob has most recently appeared in the pilot episode of Laugh Out, a gay-themed comedy. He also made a guest appearance in Atlanta's production of the play: "Peachtree Battle" to benefit Atlanta's Human Rights Campaign

Human Rights Campaign

The Human Rights Campaign is the United States' largest LGBT advocacy group and lobbying organization; according to the HRC, it has more than one million members and supporters...

 chapter. Recently, featured on CNN"s website's homepage videos with a seven minute piece produced by TBS-Storyline's Eric Lanford.

In 2007, he participated in a fashion show in Atlanta at Grady High School

Henry W. Grady High School

Henry W. Grady High School is located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States in Midtown. It serves as the Communication Magnet school for the Atlanta Public Schools...

 during Atlanta Fashion Week. The line was entitled "Pecan Pie Couture" by designer Clint Ziegler, as a benefit fo the high school's "UrbanCouture" fashion design program, and featured many southern inspired designs, which Baton Bob was proud to help show off. He graced the cover of Creative Loafing's May 24–30 issue: Hunting for Atlanta's treasures SUMMER GUIDE '07, to honor the character. The same year he was selected "Grand Marshall" of the Inman Park

Inman Park

Inman Park was planned in the late 1880s by Joel Hurt, a civil engineer and real-estate developer who intended to create a rural oasis connected to the city by the first of Atlanta's electric streetcar lines. The East Atlanta Land Company acquired and developed more than 130 acres east of the city...

 Festival Parade. Also, in Creative Loafing Newspaper's "BEST OF ATLANTA 2007"; he was voted best in three categories: Best Local Hero, Best Local Celebrity and Best Street Character!..........
In 2008, he was selected by 10Best.com Travel Guides; as one of The Atlanta Colorful Characters - 2008 10Best Bet - Award Winners!...During January 2008, he participated in the "Doggies on the Catwalk", a pet fashion show at Grady High School. The event produced by Grady's fashion program, Urban Couture, featuring other local celebs with their pets; as a benefit for Pets Are Loving Support (PALS). He participated in the official opening reception for the "2008 Special Events Tradeshow" held at {The World Of Coke} Pavilon. He has presided as "Master Of Ceremonies" for radio station 99X's "2008 Mardi Gras Ball" at Club OPERA. In June 2008, he was featured on Revision3's Internet Superstar.

External links

• The Official Baton Bob Website