LOS ANGELES -- Larry Harmon, who appeared as Bozo the Clown for decades and licensed the name to other Bozos around the world, has died at age 83.

Mr. Harmon died Thursday at his home, his publicist, Jerry Digney, said.

Although he wasn't the first person to portray Bozo, Mr. Harmon took on the famous clown's persona and, as an entrepreneur, he licensed the character to others, particularly television stations. Those stations then recruited their own Bozos for local shows.

Mr. Harmon met his alter ego after answering a casting call to make appearances as a clown to promote records. He got the job and eventually bought the rights to Bozo.

Along the way, he embellished Bozo's distinctive look: the orange-tufted hair, the bulbous nose, and the outlandish red, white and blue costume.