*about gary *
Who Is Gary Strickland ?
Musician, Professional Clown, Actor, Daddy,
Handyman, Comedian, Plumber, Worship
Leader, Husband, Children's Performer,
Photographer, Painter, Writer, Pretty Decent
Cook, Not Quite A Baby Boomer But Too Old
To Be A Generation X-er,
...Basically, a nice guy
Gary began performing theatre in the early
eighties at a dessert theatre called Stageside
Desserts (like a dinner theatre, only, no
dinner...just desserts!) in Savannah Georgia.
gary l strickland
After much discussion, hand wringing and late nights at the Huddle House, Mike, Chuck and I finally came up with the name Fisheyed Fools for our Christian-Youth Rally-Wedding-Private-Party-Praise and Worship Band! Actually, it was Chuck's idea after my last suggestion of "Walleyed Fish Bucket". Why Fisheyed Fools? We keep our eyes on the Lord and are fools for Jesus! There are three verses that came to mind when we came up with the name; 1 Corinthians 1:27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 2 Samuel 6:14-15 14. David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, 15. while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets. 2 Samuel 6:21-22 ...I will celebrate before the LORD. 22. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes.
Personally, I like that last part of 2 Samuel 6:15 where it talks about trumpets. Note; the bible never ever mentions saxophones, not even once... just trumpets!!
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Until then, he had been content with playing his trumpet in local
bands and at college hoping to one day make a living just
playing his horn. Fate stepped in and Gary was bitten by the
acting bug.
Since then, Gary has been in numerous videos, stage plays
and commercials and has performed as a clown/ musician/
all-around-entertainer all over the world for over 20 years.
Gary has written and performed literally hundreds of shows for
children and families.
"I like doing performances the whole family can enjoy together.
None of this, "You keep the kids entertained while the adults
have their program in another room" stuff. I think it's important
for the family as a whole to be together to laugh and maybe
even learn a few things."
From working for the McDonalds Corporation as a clown (yes,
that's the one!) to playing blues in Lugano Switzerland for the
Blues to Bop festival, to leading the body of Christ in worship,
he has stayed busy and looks forward to even more varied
adventures in the future.
Leonardo's World is the title given to an album of original
children's music and stories. Gary developed the character
Leonardo D'Lion to help explain degenerative muscle diseases
to children in the mid eighties while volunteering for the
Muscular Dystrophy Association. Since then, Leonardo,
Hopalong, Pikalow and all the other inhabitants of Leonardo's
World have been alive in stories, shows and music entertaining
and touching families for years.