Siegfried Fischbacher, Half Of Magic Act Siegfried & Roy, Dies At 81

Siegfried Fischbacher passed away at 81 years old from pancreatic cancer, according to his publicist Dave Kirvin.

Fischbacher was one half of the performing duo, Siegfried & Roy. Roy Horn, Fischbacher’s friend and business partner, passed away in May at age 75 from COVID-19 complications.

Fischbacher was born in Rosenheim Germany on June 13, 1939. When he was eight years old, he bought a book about magic, which sparked his interest in the subject.

“I studied it, and studied it, and studied it. There was one trick I did really well. You have a coin, a handkerchief, and a glass of water.  You drop the coin in the water and it vanishes,” said Fischbacher on the Siegfried & Roy website.

As a young adult, Fischbacher worked as a steward on the ocean liner TS Bremen. He performed magic tricks for the crew on the ship and was eventually asked to perform for the ship’s passengers. That’s where he met Horn and the two formed a bond. Horn asked Fischbacher to involve his pet cheetah in his magic tricks and Fischbacher invited Horn to become his assistant. After that, the two brought their act all over Europe.

“Even after meeting Roy,” he says, “I’ve always created and figured out my illusions for myself,” read Fischbacher’s website bio.

In 1967, they started performing in Las Vegas. They began a 14-year run at The Mirage in 1990. Their shows consisted of magic tricks, making animals levitate and making them disappear. Fischbacher and Horn performed magic in Las Vegas for over 30 years. Their act ended in 2003 after Horn was attacked by a Tiger named Mantecore.

Both performers were also active supporters of animal conservation and protection. Even after his attack, Horn said he believed the tiger was not trying to hurt him and asked that no harm come to it.

Fischbacher is survived by his brother, Marinus, and his sister, Margot, a Franciscan nun who goes by Sister Dolore.