Who was the first celebrity king of the Krewe of Bacchus?

Danny Kaye was the first celebrity king of the Krewe of Bacchus.

Kaye, an American actor, comedian, singer, and dancer, reigned as Bacchus in 1969, the krewe’s first parade. His selection established the organization’s signature practice of inviting a nationally recognized entertainer to serve as its monarch and draw wider attention to the parade.

The choice fit Bacchus’s ambitions as one of the first modern New Orleans superkrewes. Founded in 1968, the organization emphasized huge floats, spectacle, and celebrity participation rather than the more closed traditions associated with older-line Carnival societies. Kaye’s reign was followed by other major entertainers, including Raymond Burr, Jim Nabors, Phil Harris, and Bob Hope.

A common mix-up is assuming that every Bacchus king was a movie star. In 1981, Sergeant John McKeel Jr., an Iran hostage-crisis survivor, was the only non-celebrity to reign in the krewe’s listed succession. That unusual choice makes Kaye’s opening role especially significant.