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Times Square ‘Naked Cowboy’ released after being jailed in Florida during Bike Week gig

The Times Square icon has preformed at the motorcycle event for the last 21 years

Monday 08 March 2021 14:23 EST

Robert Burck, better known as the Naked Cowboy, walks down the middle of Main Street while performing in Daytona, Fla., during the start of Bike Week on Friday, March 5, 2021. Police arrested the Times Square performer on a misdemeanor resisting arrest charge and cited him for panhandling as he worked a gig at Bike Week. (Sam Thomas/Orlando Sentinel via AP) (AP)

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Times Square's Naked Cowboy was arrested while preforming at Bike Week in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Robert John Burck, more widely known as the "Naked Cowboy," was arrested on a misdemeanor resisting arrest without violence charged and was cited for panhandling during a gig he was working at Daytona Beach's Bike Week.

Mr Burck is known for singing and playing guitar in Times Square while wearing only a cowboy hat, cowboy boots, and underwear.

This year was Mr Burck's 21st year playing Bike Week, which is advertised as the "world's largest motorcycle enthusiast event" and draws around 500,000 attendees.

Daytona Beach police claim they saw people sliding dollar bills into Mr Burck's guitar after taking photos with him. After police confronted him and accused him of panhandling, Mr Burck allegedly refused to follow their directions and attempted to pull away from an officer.

"The defendant began taking photographs with multiple bystanders, while bystanders placed United States currency inside the guitar's center sound hole in the area of Main St/S Fern Ln, which was approximately 10 feet away from the front door of a commercially zoned property at 810 Main St.," the police report said. "The defendant's actions violate Daytona Beach City Ordinance 66-1 (Panhandling)."

The officer then grabbed Mr Burck and redirected him to a police car. The performer's guitar, which was hanging around his neck, was broken during the arrest.

Mr Burck was released from jail on Sunday morning on a $600 bond following his first court appearance.

The performer's arrest was captured on video by bystanders. Witnesses to the arrest yelled "free the cowboy" as he was placed in hand cuffs and moved into a patrol car.

This year is the 80th Anniversary of Daytona Bike Week.

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