Naked Cowboy

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Robert John Burck (born March 19, 1977 in Cincinnati, Ohio), better known as the The Naked Cowboy, is a New York City busker and prominent fixture of Times Square. His routine, consisting of playing guitar wearing nothing but cowboy boots, a hat, and a pair of briefs, has provided him a comfortable living and international notoriety.

In 2000, he was on the short-lived Moral Court starring conservative/libertarian talk show host, Larry Elder. His girlfriend brought him to the show because she thought the Naked Cowboy persona was immoral. Elder ruled that Burck's persona was not immoral and not a danger to public safety. Burck replied, "I think I am an inspiration to public safety."

He auditioned for American Idol during that show's first season. He was not admitted to the next round. He also auditioned for the talent show Star Search, but was again turned down. As of 2006, the Naked Cowboy is part of USA Network's "Characters Welcome" campaign. The Naked Cowboy appeared briefly in the PBS documentary Origins to give his opinion on the possibility of extraterrestrial life. The Naked Cowboy is also featured singing in the video game True Crime: New York City at Times Square. He is in the recording studio working on his debut album, to be released in 2007.

He was also on an episode of the game show "Street Smarts and featured in the music clip for Cake's song "Short Skirt Long Jacket".