At around eight years old he was taken under the wing of a local artiste, and began his career as a roving performer. His travels eventually brought him to Taiwan, where he adopted his guardian's surname and toured with an acrobatic troupe.
孫翠鳳的父親，生於雜耍風氣很盛的河北省吳橋縣，原名趙鎖會的他，自幼家貧如洗，八、九歲時，跟著一個村裡的長輩到外地去賣藝，沒想到一路就到了隔海的台灣，跟著長輩改名孫貴，到處表演特技。