RIP Brad Burt

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Dustin Stinett
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RIP Brad Burt

Postby Dustin Stinett » August 26th, 2021, 6:41 am

Just read the sad news that Brad Burt, who owned and operated the magic shop bearing his name in San Diego, California for many years, has died. Besides his shop, Brad was a pioneer in specialized video instruction releasing many VHS tapes and DVDs on specific effects, some of which can still be purchased at other magic emporiums. He was 68. Our condolences to his wife, Barbara, his family, and many friends and students.

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CraigMitchell
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Re: RIP Brad Burt

Postby CraigMitchell » August 26th, 2021, 9:28 am

So sad ... his video series was legendary

jason156
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Re: RIP Brad Burt

Postby jason156 » August 26th, 2021, 12:49 pm

Wow, very sad ... I purchased many of his teaching tapes back in the day.

MagicbyAlfred
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Re: RIP Brad Burt

Postby MagicbyAlfred » August 26th, 2021, 1:30 pm

I am very saddened to hear this news! My deepest sympathies to his family. I knew that he had some pretty serious and chronic health issues even 15-20 years ago that led him to close his brick and mortar shop in San Diego, but 68 is so young! Brad's wonderful VHS on card flourishes was the very first magic video I ever purchased. From it, I learned the spread and turnover, pressure fan, waterfall shuffle, and Brad Burt's own one-handed triple cut. When he had the shop, I would call him monthly after receiving the new newsletter with the latest tricks, and I bought a bunch of really good ones from him over the years. We would always "talk magic," and his love for and extensive knowledge of the art always shined through. Super magician, teacher and most importantly, person! I hope you are performing in the great magical beyond, Brad. You will be very missed!

MagicbyAlfred
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Re: RIP Brad Burt

Postby MagicbyAlfred » August 26th, 2021, 2:16 pm

PS Here is a very short video (26 seconds) featuring Brad doing some beautiful flourishes, including his one-handed triple cut:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yp2Xbl68qA

Watching it reminded me that I also learned the Giant Fan and springing the cards from him. Going forward, every time I do any of the flourishes I learned from Brad, I will think of him...

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Chas Nigh
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Re: RIP Brad Burt

Postby Chas Nigh » August 31st, 2021, 6:02 pm


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erdnasephile
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Re: RIP Brad Burt

Postby erdnasephile » September 1st, 2021, 2:03 pm

Brad Burt was my very first magic teacher. As many of you know, he managed the old B & H school of magic in Los Alamitos back in the early 70’s.

When I met Brad for the first time, I was, I think, three years younger than the minimum age to take lessons. However, my tiger Mom could not be denied, so I nervously sat down for my first lesson. To my delight, I found Brad to be low key, patient and persistent, yet with an enormous passion for magic. He really was the perfect teacher for me. I remember he used to pry apart my hand as I held the deck in a death grip intoning "You gotta' relax!" or as I struggled with concealing a card in my tiny palm: "If Malini could do it, so can you!"

Brad was adept with all sorts of magic, but sleight of hand with cards was definitely his forte. He performed Magic Christian’s “Surprising Jokers” during his Castle audition (at a time when it not easy to get poker-sized gaffs) and he worshipped “Greater Magic” (He used to talk about how he saw Father Jim Blantz kill with the “Tuned Deck” right out of the text). He also worked for years on his classic pass, but I don’t think he was ever satisfied with it due to his high standards.

Brad also had a great sense of humor (a particular incident with a finger chopper and a serial “What’s that do?” pest comes to mind). He passed along so much wise advice, but number one to me was: to really learn magic you have to read, study and think!

I knew Brad during his vegetarian phase where he lost a huge amount of weight (Stan Allen was constantly trying to buy him a steak or feed him across the street at Claim Jumper.) He also wrote some brutally honest but rather entertaining reviews and commentary in the magic shop newsletter. For one particularly pointed review, he did use a pseudonym, “Le Masque”— although since there were only two people writing in the newsletter at that time, I’m not sure how effective that was.

My Mom trusted Brad implicitly when it came to my annual magic book Christmas gift. Although I was way too young for the material by most standards, he made sure that Mom always went home with Harry Lorayne’s latest, including some tougher stuff like “Afterthoughts” and “Dingle’s Deceptions”. (Since I didn’t know the material was supposed to be hard, I just learned it all anyway!).

Brad eventually left Stan’s shop for other pastures, as did I. However, I was pleased to follow his exploits in San Diego and on-line. We did reconnect several years ago, and I wrote him a note to reintroduce myself and to let him know how much he meant to me. When Brad graciously replied, he said he did indeed remember me and that he had used me as an example over the years to justify teaching magic to really young kids. It pleased me to know that he was continuing to use his gifts to inspire the next generation.

Thank you, Brad, for taking an interest in me and for seeing the potential I didn’t know I had. Thank you for giving me a lifelong hobby I didn’t know I needed, but that has given me back so, so much.

Aloha, Teacher—may you rest in peace.


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