Knights Of Columbus Bringing Red Skelton Here... Sort Of

By Mike Perleberg Jennings Barnett (left) will bring his Red Skelton (right) impersonation show to Lawrenceburg on October 3. (Lawrenceburg, Ind.) – Before he went on to become one of America’s first television stars and enjoyed success in vaudeville and radio, Red Skelton was born a Hoosier. The Vincennes, Indiana native became one of America’s all-time greatest comedians with his pantomime skills that he began practicing at the age of 10. His fame ranged from the 1930s through 1970s. He died in 1997 at the age of 84. Skelton’s brand of clean, family-friendly comedy lives on, however. Jennings Barnett, of Alexandria, Kentucky, has been impersonating him for 14 years and will bring Skelton’s sketches to life when he performs on Saturday, October 3 in Lawrenceburg. The event organized by the Lawrenceburg Knights of Columbus Council 1231 will raise funds to be split between the Pregnancy Care Center and Gibault Children Services. “Red Skelton was a very patriotic and God loving man, His variety show came into millions of homes and he presented it with great family comedy. He always made us laugh and he always made us think about living in life’s lessons,” says Knights of Columbus Council 1231 grand knight Jeff Lacey. Barnett’s impersonation act is so true to Skelton that he has received the blessing of the Red Skelton Foundation. The evening at Hartzer Hall at St. Lawrence School will begin with a 5:00 p.m. social hour, 6:00 dinner catered by LaRosa’s of Greendale, and Barnett’s one-hour long show starts at 7:00. Cost per person is $30, with tickets only being sold in advance. Contact K of C members at 812-537-4853 or 512-650-8020 to purchase tickets. Ticket payment can also be mailed by September 27 to Knights Hall, 9 Center Street, Lawrenceburg, Indiana 47025.