RIP Roy Horn

[Dustin Stinett]

The news is reporting the passing of Roy Horn (of Siegfried & Roy fame.)

https://www.reviewjournal.com/entertain ... 5-2024476/

[Jon Pendragon]

He was the best "Cat" magician I ever saw. He took the same part I did in Metamorphosis and performed it brilliantly even though I had (in Siegfried's words), "No Cat in the Box." I didn't, Roy did and as magicians we all knew it or at least should have known it. We saw a more amazing Metamorphosis than the audience did. I met him 35 years ago and decided against adding cats to my act because I believed no one could do it better. I watched for years as other magicians proved my point. After the mauling Roy did not give up. He led as normal a life as possible. Siegfried made a saddle so that Roy could ride hie favorite horse and he was doing well, better than anyone expected before COVID-19 took him. He was 75 years old. Magic has lost true Royalty, one of our greatest. Aloha Roy.

[Zig Zagger]

Saddened to hear that.

One of my oldest memories goes back to seeing, as a boy, their stunning PR shot of Roy floating through a hoop high above Siegfried's head somewhere in the desert, in bright sunlight. No stage, no backdrop, no dim lighting. It was featured on the cover of a German TV guide, and it left me speechless. I am grateful to have seen their show back in the 90s, when they were in their prime, and I will always cherish it as one of the top magic experiences of my life.

Roy had a magic way of connecting with animals of all kinds. On stage, he was highly energetic and athletic, and he aired an infectious, exuberant joy. I am sure he enjoyed every minute of his life with his animals, his partner and their magic.

Rest in peace, Roy, and thank you for all the magic and the joy.

[CraigMitchell]

The world has lost a legend.

Roy’s love of life and ethereal bond with his animals combined with Siegfried’s desire to do the impossible, saw this unstoppable force create one of the most spectacular live entertainment experiences ever seen. A phenomenon so powerful that night after night, sell-out performance after sell-out performance, Roy shared with the world his gift for the ages—the return of the Royal White Tigers and Magical White Lions of Timbavati.

Together Siegfried & Roy altered the course of entertainment history. They are the elements of modern myth and mystery - legends without compare. Siegfried said it best himself, "The show is our life, and our life is the show."

Nothing has become more apparent just how much Roy touched the lives of all who have had the privilege to know him.

I was 15 years old when I saw Siegfried & Roy live at The Mirage in Las Vegas for the very first time. And it forever changed my life. As the lights darkened, I witnessed magic how it was meant to be ... imagine sitting in a theatre believing that what you see is real … imagine asking yourself just for a moment if it might be ... Siegfried & Roy embodied that childhood fantasy of wonder. They mastered the impossible - it was pure imagination come to life.

If somebody asked you years from now to recount a special event from this year - to describe the feeling, emotion & spectacle of what you saw - if only to give them a fleeting insight of what it must have been like to be there in person ... would you be able to?

I hope so.

Don’t ever lose sight of the fact that what you do today may have an impact for many years to come.

They say that a champion’s strength is measured by his heart. If true, I know of no better champion than Roy.

Auf wiedersehen!

[MagicbyAlfred]

Regrettably, I never saw Siegfried and Roy live. But my sense, from the video clips and performances i watched for a couple hours in the wee hours after awakening and reading Dustin's post, is that it was a larger-than-life, iconic experience, an extravaganza in the realm of magic akin to what the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and the Who were to rock music. Watching Roy I could just feel his love for magic and life, and the magic of life. I could feel his incredible spirit and the spirits of those magnificent animals that were tantamount to his own. I had never followed the duo, or been what you could call a fan, and it's hard to explain, but having watched those videos, I feel truly inspired to keep reaching for my higher self. I have tremendous admiration for what those two magicians were able to accomplish, and I feel a surprising sense of sadness and loss over Roy's transcendence of the physical plane. And my heart really goes out to Siegfried, who has lost, at least for the time being, his best and one-of-a kind friend. A true friend is a very rare thing indeed. Who knows what awaits out there in the magical beyond, but I have a strong feeling that a spirit like Roy's will never die...

[CraigMitchell]

There's a great interview with S&R in the Sept 1993 issue of Magic Magazine available in the archive.

Roy was asked if people walked out of their show thinking it's a magic show?

His answer encapsulated it all: "In the first couple of minutes of the show, they may be thinking, 'How's this happening?'
But then they let it happen. Our audiences live their own dreams through us. We are merchants of dreams."

What a gift to give.