CarnivalWarehouse.com
Carnival Legend Passes - by Frank Zaitshik
Wednesday, March 27, 2013

We received this note from Mr. Zaitshik yesterday who was obviously moved by the passing of Mr. Honeycutt.

A carnival legend passed away quietly yesterday in Montgomery, Alabama. Jack Honeycutt, also know as "Top Brass", joined the carnival business in 1932 at the age of 13 after traveling around the country during the Great Depression in search of work. In an interview Jack once said when he walked on the lot the first thing they asked him was "Are you hungry?"

Honeycutt also said that in the carnival business, the  color of your skin didn't matter, only that you carried your weight. He was with a number of shows through his storied career, most notably the Hennis Show, Olson Shows, Strates Shows, Link Shows and finally Wade Shows. He worked his way up the ladder doing a variety of jobs, finishing his days with train shows as the Train Master. He was the only African-American to ever hold that position. 

When I bought the Wade Shows, Jack came with me. We had been close since I was a teenager. I always joked, when speaking about Jack, that when I was a boy, Jack seemed so big he had muscles on his eyebrows. Though he could be an intimidating person if need be, he had a kind heart and always was willing to help a fellow showman.

During the racially charged 60's he always defended the business, portraying it in a positive light in the black community. He helped keep order in the locations we played during those years.

I'm honored to have known Jack Honeycutt and proud to have called him my friend. We believe Mr. Honeycutt was 94 when he died. I'll miss him very much.