Charles Peachock gets set for Hollywood Showdown

Professional juggler Charles Peachock needs the help of his fellow Kentites.

Peachock, 35, will perform live Tuesday evening as one of the Top 48 contestants on the NBC television show America’s Got Talent. Finalists reached this point with votes from celebrity judges Howie Mandel, Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne.

Now, however, it’s America’s turn to vote. And Peachock is hoping Kent-area residents will support his bid for the $1 million grand prize and a headlining show on the Las Vegas strip with multiple votes via text messages, phone calls and emails.

“I can't do this without the love and support of my friends and fans. Please, spread the word,” Peachock, who has lived in Kent since he was 5, recently wrote on his NBC fan page.

Among his biggest fans are parents Phil and Dorothy Peachock, the 30-year owners of in downtown Kent. The couple is flying to Los Angeles today to be in the audience for Tuesday's two-hour live show that airs locally at 9 p.m. on WKYC.

Tom Simpson, owner of , will again host a free watch party to give Charles Peachock’s supporters a chance to see his performance on a 30-foot screen.

“I’d really like to pack The Kent Stage,” Phil said during an interview Saturday evening at Spin-More. “Tom is a good friend of ours, and he’s been doing these free parties because Charlie’s performance is ‘a Kent thing.’”

Charles Peachock has kept family and friends updated on his Facebook page since arriving in Los Angeles on July 25 for a week of rehearsals.

“I was really looking forward to getting back to work on AGT. Now that I am here and I see how huge it all is, I am flipping out. I am sooo excited to be working on a level in show business that I never dreamed was available to me,” the award-winning juggler wrote July 27 on Facebook.

He has had numerous phone and online conversations the past week with both of his parents, who beam with pride when talking about their son’s most-recent accomplishments.

“He was on page 39 of the July 25th issue of People,” said Phil as he picked up a copy of the magazine from the counter at Spin-More. A picture of Charlie just as he finished his July 5 AGT performance took up a good portion of the page.

“This week's People magazine has me in it! I was told they've never put a juggler in the magazine," Charlie wrote July 20 on Facebook. "I wanted juggling to come out of the back of show business; I never thought I'd be helping that cause in such a big way. I am truly honored and still in shock a bit.”

Charlie is just one of two professional jugglers in the Peachock family. Older brother Mark Peachock of Hudson performs on cruise ships around the world with his wife, Marlo Silver.

Phil and Dorothy said Mark started juggling when he was about 10 or 11 – a time when Charlie was so involved in magic that he owned his own white dove and would put on performances at their Kent home.

“At about 10 or 11, Charlie did a magic show at the (Kent Free) Library. That was his first real paying job,” Dorothy said.

When Mark was about 13, he asked his father to drive him to a juggling convention – that day – at Penn State in State College, Pa.

“I told him it was a six-and-a-half-hour drive, but he still really wanted to go. As we were leaving, I asked if Charlie wanted to come along for the ride and he agreed,” Phil said. “We get there at 9:30 that night and they both went down to the floor in the gymnasium, where there were about 35 jugglers. They started teaching Charlie how to juggle … they were both totally engrossed, and we didn’t leave there until 4:30 in the morning.”

Soon thereafter, said Dorothy, a new home was found for Charlie’s white dove, as he had abandoned magic in favor of juggling.

In the ensuing years, Phil drove his juggling sons to at least 15 workshops and conventions in cities such as St. Louis, Boston, Buffalo and even Montreal, Canada.

“One of the nice things about having this store is that (Phil) was able to take them to all kinds of conventions while I stayed here,” said Dorothy, who worked alongside her husband at Spin-More for 20 years.

She has worked full-time as a circulation clerk at since 1999, and part-time at the past two years.

Phil and Dorothy, who will soon celebrate their 42nd wedding anniversary, said their two youngest sons have always been extremely devoted to their craft.

“They did other 'kid stuff' like rollerblading and hanging out with friends, but when it came to juggling, they were both incredibly dedicated. They set their own schedules and practiced for hours on end,” Dorothy said.

Their oldest son, Phil Jr., 41, is a financial adviser who lives in Akron with his wife, Rose Carlson, and their three kids. Asked if Phil Jr. grew up juggling, his dad said, “He had no interest. He just finds it all amusing.”

So can Phil Sr. and Dorothy juggle?

“I never tried. I can only catch something if it falls off the table,” Phil chuckled.

“I tried like one or two times, but I’m just not coordinated,” Dorothy said laughing. “It’s something that must skip a generation.”