Harvey Lowe
Encyclopedia
Harvey Lowe was a Canadian
radio presenter and world yo-yo
champion.
, Canada
in 1918, the youngest of eight daughters and two sons of his parents. Wanting more male children, Lowe's father had also had a son with his concubine, making Lowe the 11th child in the family. His father died when Lowe was three and he was subsequently raised by his father's concubine while his mother supported the family by sewing.
at the Empire Theatre on 12 September 1932. He remained in Europe until 1934, mastering over 2000 tricks. His fame provided him with the opportunity to befriend famous people such as the Prince of Wales
, Fats Waller
and Laurel and Hardy
. After his initial burst of fame with the toy ended, Lowe still performed regularly on local stages. Furthermore in the 1960s, he was invited onto The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
when Tom Smothers
created his Yo-Yo Man character and appeared in a sketch as the character's guru.
In 2005 Lowe was inducted into the American Yo-Yo Association Hall of Fame. His famous yo-yo is housed in the National Yo-Yo Museum in Chico, California
.
to learn the Chinese language
. He went on to graduate from a Chinese university with a business degree. Lowe remained in China until Mao Zedong
established the People's Republic of China
in 1949, when Lowe returned to Canada.
After purchasing a typewriter, Lowe began writing about his experiences in China. The concept evolved in to a weekly radio program Call of China on CJOR which ran for fourteen years.
Lowe held a variety of positions throughout his lifetime, including doorman at a gambling club, owner of the Smilin' Buddha Cabaret, stage manager at the Marco Polo and a restaurateur involved with Chinatown restaurants like the Bamboo Terrace, the Kingsland and the Asia Gardens. He also taught actress Julie Christie
how to smoke opium
for her role in the movie McCabe & Mrs. Miller
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
radio presenter and world yo-yo
Yo-yo
The yo-yo in its simplest form is an object consisting of an axle connected to two disks, and a length of twine looped around the axle, similar to a slender spool...
champion.
Early life
Lowe was born in Victoria, British ColumbiaVictoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1918, the youngest of eight daughters and two sons of his parents. Wanting more male children, Lowe's father had also had a son with his concubine, making Lowe the 11th child in the family. His father died when Lowe was three and he was subsequently raised by his father's concubine while his mother supported the family by sewing.
Yo-yo champion
Lowe bought his first yo-yo in 1931 for 35 cents. He began entering and winning local contests. Promoter Irving Cook noticed Lowe's talent and took him to London, paying his mother $25 each month and providing a tutor for him. Lowe won the first World Yo-Yo ContestWorld Yo-Yo Contest
The World Yo-Yo Contest is a contest of yo-yo competitors from around the worldhosted by Gregory Cohen and YoYoGuy.com. As of 2006, 19 countries fed into the World Yo-Yo Contest from their respective national yo-yo contests. Also in 2006, almost 700 people were in attendance...
at the Empire Theatre on 12 September 1932. He remained in Europe until 1934, mastering over 2000 tricks. His fame provided him with the opportunity to befriend famous people such as the Prince of Wales
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
, Fats Waller
Fats Waller
Fats Waller , born Thomas Wright Waller, was a jazz pianist, organist, composer, singer, and comedic entertainer...
and Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema...
. After his initial burst of fame with the toy ended, Lowe still performed regularly on local stages. Furthermore in the 1960s, he was invited onto The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour is an American comedy and variety show hosted by the Smothers Brothers and initially airing on CBS from 1967 to 1969.-History:...
when Tom Smothers
Tom Smothers
Tom Smothers is an American comedian, composer and musician, best known as half of the musical comedy team The Smothers Brothers, alongside his younger brother Dick.-Early life:...
created his Yo-Yo Man character and appeared in a sketch as the character's guru.
In 2005 Lowe was inducted into the American Yo-Yo Association Hall of Fame. His famous yo-yo is housed in the National Yo-Yo Museum in Chico, California
Chico, California
Chico is the most populous city in Butte County, California, United States. The population was 86,187 at the 2010 census, up from 59,954 at the time of the 2000 census...
.
Later career
On his return from Europe in 1934, Lowe entered high school. Then, in 1937, Lowe's mother sent him to ShanghaiShanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
to learn the Chinese language
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
. He went on to graduate from a Chinese university with a business degree. Lowe remained in China until Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
established the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
in 1949, when Lowe returned to Canada.
After purchasing a typewriter, Lowe began writing about his experiences in China. The concept evolved in to a weekly radio program Call of China on CJOR which ran for fourteen years.
Lowe held a variety of positions throughout his lifetime, including doorman at a gambling club, owner of the Smilin' Buddha Cabaret, stage manager at the Marco Polo and a restaurateur involved with Chinatown restaurants like the Bamboo Terrace, the Kingsland and the Asia Gardens. He also taught actress Julie Christie
Julie Christie
Julie Frances Christie is a British actress. Born in British India to English parents, at the age of six Christie moved to England, where she attended boarding school....
how to smoke opium
Opium
Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...
for her role in the movie McCabe & Mrs. Miller
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
McCabe & Mrs. Miller is a 1971 American Western film starring Warren Beatty and Julie Christie, and directed by Robert Altman. The screenplay is by Altman and Brian McKay from the novel McCabe by Edmund Naughton. The cinematography is by Vilmos Zsigmond and the soundtrack includes three songs by...
.