Bob Elliott Has Died

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Richard Kaufman
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Bob Elliott Has Died

Postby Richard Kaufman » December 7th, 2010, 5:35 pm

The man who taught me my first actual card routine, and who taught hundreds of others, and was a great friend, has died this morning.

I'm sure many will have words of praise for Bob Elliott.
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Mike P
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Re: Bob Elliott Has Died

Postby Mike P » December 7th, 2010, 5:45 pm

My condolences to his friends and family.
Wow we lost another one, how sad.

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Re: Bob Elliott Has Died

Postby Steve Cohen » December 7th, 2010, 6:35 pm

Bob's doctor and his wife Happy called to tell me this sad news. There will be a gathering on the east coast for his many friends, date to be announced.

RIP to Bob, who will always remain larger than life in my memories.

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Re: Bob Elliott Has Died

Postby Jonathan Townsend » December 7th, 2010, 6:38 pm

There's a lot of people he showed a lot of magic who can carry on a little of the giving he did for all of us.

Goodbye Bob. And thanks.
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Re: Bob Elliott Has Died

Postby John Carney » December 7th, 2010, 6:55 pm

What a great fellow........I remember my first visit to NYC when I was 19, a farmboy fresh out of Iowa and in the big city. Bob was a friendly and helpful guy, who took me under his wing and made sure everything was OK. We shared a lot of magic and laughs over the years that followed. He was a powerful, bigger than life personality, and I was very fond of him.

So sorry to see him go........but happy and lucky that he was in my life.

Love to you Bob,
john

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Re: Bob Elliott Has Died

Postby Richard Hatch » December 7th, 2010, 7:26 pm

I didn't know Bob well, but I have two strong memories of things he did that I thought showed his great character. He used to book lecturers to magic clubs and I recall that he did a lecture for the local magic group in Connecticut one year and didn't charge us anything for it, just brought a large number of boxes of Girl Scout cookies that he encouraged us to buy on behalf of his daughter!
A few years later, after I moved to Houston, a lecturer he'd booked had to cancel, so Bob flew to Houston at his own expense to do the lecture for us.
My recollection is that his lecture was very commercial material given to him by his famous friends to share.

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Re: Bob Elliott Has Died

Postby Harry Lorayne » December 7th, 2010, 8:20 pm

I lost a very close, dear friend. HL.

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Bob Elliott Has Died

Postby Richard Kaufman » December 7th, 2010, 8:30 pm

Harry, didn't Bob used to teach classes in memory for you?
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Re: Bob Elliott Has Died

Postby Tom Gilbert » December 7th, 2010, 8:45 pm

Bob was a great guy. I called Happy the other day and she was understandably having a rough time. She put Bob on the phone but he wasn't having a good day. Sad.

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Re: Bob Elliott Has Died

Postby Doug Thornton » December 7th, 2010, 9:00 pm

Condolences to Bob's family and many friends.
Thanks for the magic, Bob.
http://www.magicianbobelliott.com/
Smiles all around
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Re: Bob Elliott Has Died

Postby Rafael Benatar » December 7th, 2010, 9:07 pm

Bob. He was the first who put together a lecture tour for me in the US. A great dear friend. Got to spend some time with him and his family as a house guest in my early days as a magician. 5 sAw him recently at the San Diego IBM, and he looked so happy to see many dear friends. At some point he said, almost to himself: This is Heaven!

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Re: Bob Elliott Has Died

Postby Kevin Connolly » December 7th, 2010, 10:49 pm

What a great guy! I know everyone was amazed by his card work and close-up, but for me it was different. It was his presence and his aura that did it for me. When I first met him, he had the jet black, perfectly coiffed hair. Then it was his tinted glasses, followed-up by his suits. He was a class act just standing there.

I can still see him standing there in Tannen's behind the counter in the same place Senor Mardo(another magic good guy) used to be. Whether you were at his apt, The Stonehenge, Tannen's or a magic meeting, Bob always made you feel special. To me, that was magic.
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Re: Bob Elliott Has Died

Postby David Regal » December 7th, 2010, 11:49 pm

Bob was such a positive force. Always going out of his way to help people. He said something to me once that I think back on all the time.

Many years ago, before anyone booked me for anything, Bob wanted to book me for a convention, and I accepted - then had to cancel (I believe because I was moving across the country and at sixes and sevens). I felt just awful, and when I went to Bob to explain why I couldn't do it I was so twisted up my words tripped one over the other. Bob just looked at me and said "David, we're friends, and between friends explanations are unnecessary."

What a beautiful thing to say to another person.

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Bob Elliott Has Died

Postby Richard Kaufman » December 8th, 2010, 12:02 am

People who know Bob from his later life don't realize that Derek Dingle taught Bob almost his entire repertoire, and Bob did everything almost as perfectly as Derek--including every really damned difficult sleight. I remember seeing Bob do Derek's trick "Poor Charlie." Bob's presenation was much better than Derek's with really good patter that made it memorable.
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Re: Bob Elliott Has Died

Postby Paul Gordon » December 8th, 2010, 1:31 am

Sad news. I first met Bob (whilst lecturing at Tannens Jubillee) in 1997 and he was kind, generous and fun. Lovely man. RIP. Paul Gordon
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Re: Bob Elliott Has Died

Postby Matthew Field » December 8th, 2010, 8:42 am

I saw Bob many times at Tannen's and he was always glad to give me some advice on something I was working on. He ran the Tannen's Magic Camp and was a fixture in the New York magic scene. He often did close-up at Monday Night Magic.

I saw him last at a Magic on Manhattan one-day convention. I was having breakfast in the Henry Hudson Hotel, where it was being held, and Bob was there with his great wife Happy. I went over to have a brief chat and remember thinking to myself that here was a fellow (about ten years older than I) who loved magic and was living it.

Matt Field

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Re: Bob Elliott Has Died

Postby Sean-Dylan » December 8th, 2010, 9:05 am

I met Bob as a teenager in the 80's. He instantly befriended me, taught me more magic than I could remember, brought me in as a counselor to the Tannen's Magic Camp, helped get me a job as a demonstrator at Tannen's, had me over to his house countless times and introduced me to the many of the greatest Magicians in the world. He treated me like family. When I went to College in Buffalo, he introduced me to everyone at the Fork's Hotel, who treated me like family as well because of my association with Bob. He was a GREAT guy and generous beyond belief. I doubt I will ever encounter another like him and I will miss him dearly.

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Re: Bob Elliott Has Died

Postby Paul Richards » December 8th, 2010, 10:29 am

I met Bob in the late 90s at a Tannens Jubilee, it was my first time there and Bob went out of his way to introduce me to so many great people. From that point forward, whenever we were at the same convention, he would always bring people by the booth and never failed to have a great story or joke to share. He was always enormously generous with his time, knowledge, and friendship. Such sad news...

My deepest condolences to Happy and his family.

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Re: Bob Elliott Has Died

Postby karlraven » December 9th, 2010, 4:17 am

Another friend lost. Its been a rough year. Bob was a such great guy. We worked a few shows together and he was always fun to watch. My condolances to Happy. The Ruben's crowd is getting smaller and smaller. RIP Bob.

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Re: Bob Elliott Has Died

Postby Kenardo » December 9th, 2010, 12:06 pm

Bob was a wonderful magician and friend. I loved listening to his stories (especially the one when he drove Darwin and David back from a magic convention) and jokes and watching him perform - especially his presentation of the egg bag. He was always generous about teaching me any sleight, trick, or routine I wanted to learn. As mentioned earlier, he booked many magicians for lectures - including many who appeared at the Tannen Jubillees. I remember well those fantastic close-up shows. New York missed him after he and Happy moved to California; nevertheless Bob loved his new home and the magicians he befriended out there. I always enjoyed spending time with Bob and Happy at the Hank Lee Cape Cod Conclaves when they would make their annual trip east. My condolences to Happy. RIP, Bob.

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Re: Bob Elliott Has Died

Postby Mike Rubinstein » December 12th, 2010, 10:21 am

Bob was a great friend and supporter through the years. As a teenager, he ripped me for having a big head, and it taught me a great lesson. We became close friends over the years, and he was always willing to share, offer constructive criticism when needed, and praise when warranted. He was a friend to all the NY guys, and started a lot of people on their careers. Always wearing those dark glasses, he was a Presence, and will be missed.


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