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Letter to the editor

8 things you might not know about the Naked Cowboy

By STEPHANIE GARRY, Times Staff Writer
Published January 11, 2008

Thursday afternoon at the Pier offered the perfect weather - 75 degrees, sunny and breezy - for a man wearing nothing but cowboy boots, a Lone Star hat and tighty whiteys.

His name is Robert Burck, 37. At 200 pounds, 6 feet 3 (without the hat), he's an icon on New York City's Times Square, where he plays guitar and croons country songs for tourists.

Burck is in the Tampa Bay area visiting friends Jim and Sue Simpson, both 62. He met the couple more than a decade ago in Cincinnati, when Jim hired Burck to strip for Sue as a present on Sweetest Day, a holiday in the Great Lakes region. "He didn't seem to know what to do with himself," Jim recalled.

He does now. The Naked Cowboy rakes in up to $10,000 a day for events, including a party at last week's Fiesta Bowl.

How he got his start: In California on a trip posing for Playgirl. He tried playing his guitar for money and made $1.02 until a photographer suggested he play in his underwear. He filled the guitar case with cash.

His routine: Burck reads in the morning, works out and then, in the winter, divides his time between playing and warming up with hot showers and exercise.

Police detentions: At last count, 49.

Strongest reaction: A guy in a truck got out and punched him in the face, saying his baby in the front seat shouldn't have to see him. "My cowboy hat mostly blocked it," he said.

How he stays in shape: Burck works out daily and limits his diet to lean meats, veggies, water, black coffee and protein bars without sugar.

Where he keeps his cell phone: In his boot, along with a driver's license and cash.

His credentials: Burck said he graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a degree in political science. Marketing just came naturally. He reads philosophy regularly. Favorites include Ralph Waldo Emerson and Friedrich Nietzsche.

Where to find him: In Times Square, of course. On Sunday, he'll be in downtown Sarasota for Arts Day. He's also on the Web at nakedcowboy.com.

[Last modified January 11, 2008, 10:23:22]