News

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.

Sarah Huffman

Recent Posts

Tom Hanks’ $50 Million Film ‘Here’ Flops At The Box Office, Making Disastrous $5 Million On Opening Weekend

Tom Hanks' new film, Here, only made $5 million at the box office during its…

1 second ago

After Fans Mock Her, ‘Real Housewives’ Star Teresa Giudice Dissolves Her Lip Fillers – On TikTok

Teresa Giudice took to TikTok on Friday to address fan comments about her lips, revealing…

17 hours ago

‘Dawson’s Creek’ Star James Van Der Beek Reveals He’s Fighting Colorectal Cancer

James Van Der Beek, best known for his role on Dawson's Creek, has revealed his…

17 hours ago

Jason Kelce Smashes Fan’s Phone After Homophobic Slur About Brother Travis & Taylor Swift’s Relationship

Jason Kelce’s appearance on ESPN’s College GameDay took an unexpected turn when a fan made a homophobic…

20 hours ago

Liam Payne Reportedly Overdosed Before His Death As His Management Pressured Him To Host TV Show

Liam Payne overdosed on drugs and had to be resuscitated prior to his tragic death.…

22 hours ago

Johnny Depp’s Lawyer, Camille Vasquez, Denies Dating Rumors: ‘Never Would Date Him’

Camille Vasquez, who represented Johnny Depp in his high-profile defamation case against Amber Heard, has…

22 hours ago