Robert Burck |
Wiki |
Robert John Burck (born December 23, 1970 in Cincinnati, Ohio), better known as the Naked Cowboy, is an American busker whose patch is on New York City's Times Square. He wears only cowboy boots, a hat, and briefs, with a guitar strategically placed to give the illusion of nudity.
Burck began busking in 1998 and first appeared on Venice Beach, Los Angeles. The public immediately gave him much of their spare change after a friend suggested to him that he dress only in his underwear in order to generate higher earnings.
Though he is currently most famous as a fixture of New York City's Times Square, Burck is also a regular in the streets of the French Quarter during the New Orleans Mardi Gras season. He also makes appearances in his hometown of Cincinnati, at the Memorial Day weekend Taste of Cincinnati festival and the Riverfest Labor Day Festival. He has also made an appearance in Austin, Texas, during the South by Southwest Music Conference, and on January 25, 2009 he performed at a Leinster Rugby game in Donnybrook, Dublin, Ireland, singing his theme song "I'm the Naked Cowboy" before 18,000 spectators.