King of Cool

Milwaukee celebrates 30 years of “Happy Days” and “ayyyyy!” with the Bronze Fonz.

Most people know the iconic TV series, “Happy Days,” was set in the city of Milwaukee. What many do not know is that while the show was a nationwide hit, the lovable cast of characters still holds a special place in the hearts of most Milwaukeeans. Now, more than 30 years after “Happy

Days” first aired, the city plans to give those feelings a tangible place in the downtown area by creating a “Bronze Fonz” commemorative statue as a tribute to the show.

“It is an amazing thing to have a statue erected to a character you dreamed up,” says Henry Winkler, who played The Fonz on the show. “I knew that it might happen, but I didn’t know it was going to be such a prominent part of the downtown landscape.”

When the life-sized statue of Fonzie is dedicated this August in Milwaukee, it will call the city’s downtown Riverwalk home. The statue will on the south end of Rock Bottom Brewery’s outdoor seating area and be set against the backdrop of the Milwaukee River.

Gerald Sawyer, a Wisconsin artist who has designed and sculpted several pieces in the Milwaukee area, has been commissioned to design the piece.

While Winkler is not from Milwaukee, he still has close ties with the city, thanks to the show. “Everyone on ‘Happy Days’ thinks of the city as their honorary home,” he says.

In fact, Winkler says that he has been invited into the homes of many Milwaukee natives because of his role as Fonzie. “It’s like I am family, and that is a wonderful feeling. The city has, over the years, been unbelievably warm to the cast. Now we have this gorgeous statue. It’s amazing.”

BE THERE OR BE SQUARE

Midwest Airlines is the official airline for the Bronze Fonz dedication ceremony scheduled for Aug. 19 in Milwaukee. Midwest will be flying in Winkler, his family and virtually every member of the “Happy Days” cast, including Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams, who starred in the Milwaukee-based spin-off “Laverne and Shirley.”

4 INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT HENRY WINKLER:

Was born on Oct. 30, 1945, in New York City and now lives in L.A. » Received a BA from Emerson College and a Master’s from the Yale School of Drama. » Has waged a lifelong battle with dyslexia. » Along with Lin Oliver, is author of the New York Times best-selling series of children’s books called Hank Zipzer, based on his struggle with dyslexia.

FONZ: SILVER SCREEN COLLECTION/GETTY EDITORIAL