Chris Bliss is an American stand up comedian and

juggler Juggling is a physical skill, performed by a juggler, involving the manipulation of objects for recreation, entertainment, art or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling. Juggling can be the manipulation of one object ...

, perhaps best known for a viral video of him juggling to Beatles songs.

Early career

Bliss grew up in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

He went on to major in comparative literature at

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

and the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...

before dropping out to pursue a career in juggling. He decided not to pursue the conventional route of

circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclis ...

style juggling. Instead he chose to blend popular music with tightly choreographed fast paced moves. While numbers jugglers seek to juggle more and more objects, Bliss chose to juggle only three balls. It is this combination of a simple juggling style and his choice of popular music that made Bliss a big hit, culminating in him being chosen as the sole opening act for The Jacksons on their 1984 Victory Tour. Following on from this success, Bliss expanded his juggling act to include stand-up comedy. His act now comprises both stand-up elements and juggling.

Viral video

In 2006 Bliss enjoyed widespread fame when an online video of his juggling finale became a viral internet sensation. The five-minute video shows his energetic finale where he juggles 3 balls to

Golden Slumbers "Golden Slumbers" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1969 album ''Abbey Road''. Written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney, it is the sixth song of the album's climactic B-side medley. The song is follow ...

Carry That Weight "Carry That Weight" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1969 album ''Abbey Road''. Written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney, it is the seventh and penultimate song in the album's climactic side-two med ...

The End The End may refer to: Films * ''The End'' (1953 film), a film by Christopher Maclaine * ''The End'' (1978 film), a comedy by Burt Reynolds * ''The End'' (1997 film), a Canadian film of 1997 * ''The End'' (1998 film), a skateboarding document ...

The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...

. The video was widely circulated via email and blogs with an estimated 20 million viewings within the first 40 days alone. Total views to date are estimate to be over 80 million. The video caused quite a stir in the juggling world, with Bliss appearing as a guest on

Penn Jillette Penn Fraser Jillette (born March 5, 1955) is an American magician, actor, musician, inventor, television presenter, and author, best known for his work with fellow magician Teller as half of the team Penn & Teller. The duo has been featured ...

's radio show, Penn was himself a juggler and is associated with the

World Juggling Federation The World Juggling Federation (WJF) is the world's only organization devoted to the promotion and advancement of juggling as a sport ( competitive juggling). History In 2003, the WJF was created by long-time International Jugglers' Association memb ...

. Following the success of his "Grand Finale" video, the UK musician Fatboy Slim ran an online competition on MySpace asking for fans to submit juggling videos for the single release

That Old Pair of Jeans "That Old Pair of Jeans" is a song by English electronic music producer Fatboy Slim, released on 26 June 2006 as a single from his greatest hits album ''The Greatest Hits – Why Try Harder''. It features vocals from American rapper Lateef the ...

. The competition asked whether you can "Juggle to music like Chris Bliss" and featured a video of Bliss juggling three balls in his unique style to the single. John Augustus "Gus" Tate was announced the competition's winner on Fatboy Slim's MySpace on August 2, 2006.

MyBillofRights.org

Aside from his performance career, Bliss has also started the nonprofit MyBillofRights.org, granted 501(c) 3 status in 2006. The goal of the project is to create monuments and other public displays of the

United States Bill of Rights The United States Bill of Rights comprises the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. Proposed following the often bitter 1787–88 debate over the ratification of the Constitution and written to address the objections rai ...

in civic spaces across America. Their first display was dedicated in Montezuma, Iowa on July 5, 2008. A monument at the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix has been approved and is in the final stages of design development. The Bill of Rights Plaza design, for the Texas State Capitol in Austin, has also been approved for fundraising. The organization is funded by individual contributions, and has also been supported by the Newman's Own Foundation.

References

External links

A biography of Chris BlissMy Bill of Rights homepage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bliss, Chris Jugglers Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Northwestern University alumni University of Oregon alumni American stand-up comedians American circus performers 21st-century American comedians