Who Is: Siegfred and Roy, Master Magicians and Illusionists

Corporate magicians Siegfried & Roy, who are considered as the legends of the Las Vegas Strip, were also named Magicians of the Century by their fellow magicians around the world. They were rewarded for their dedication to magic and were voted Magicians of the Century at the brotherhood of magic's International Magicians Society’s (I.M.S.) Millennium Merlin Award ceremony.

Both Siegfred Fischbacher and Roy Horn are from Germany. While Roy Horn was fascinated with animals and had spent much of his time befriending exotic animals at Bremen zoo, Siegfried Fischbacher, on the other hand, was drawn to the world of magic since he was nine years old, after he discovered a book of magic which he bought with a five-mark bill that he happened to find on the street. Siegfried Fischbacher grew up in the town of Rosenheim, Germany, while Roy Horn grew up in Nordenham.

In his youth, Roy spent lots of time at the Bremen Zoo where he eventually gained the trust of a two-year-old cheetah named Chico. Eventually, the zookeeper allowed Roy to enter the cheetah's den and feed and care for him.

In 1953, Siegfried and Roy left their respective schools. Siegfried worked for a time in a carpet factory. In 1956, Siegfried took a job at the Lago di Garda resort and began to perform magic. Later on, Siegfried and Roy worked in the same ocean liner. Siegfried worked as a steward while Roy worked as a waiter. When Roy saw Siegfried perform magic in front of the ocean liner’s guest, he proposed a business partnership with him where they could use the cheetah on board. Roy then became Siegfried's assistant and the partnership proved to be a great success.

For the next five years, they became busy playing in small clubs all across Europe and later on offered to work at Las Vegas Entertainment. They accepted the offer and went to the US by storm. Their skill had convinced audience to watch their show. As they became popular, a review noted that “While they give audiences great pleasure on stage, they have given back magnificent animals to the world. Bringing the White Tiger and White Lion back from near extinction and into the new century is a magical accomplishment. It’s amazing that such a feat would emanate from Las Vegas. It shows the perseverance and dedication of these special human beings.”

On Oct. 3, 2003, their popularity was threatened when Roy was injured by a tiger that picked him up by his neck and carried him off stage. Until this moment, partners Roy and Siegfred maintaines that the tiger got Roy to a safer place after Roy suffered a heart attack during that show. Roy Horn was treated at the MGM Mirage Hotel-Casino for massive blood loss before he was rushed to the University Medical Center for emergency surgery. Despite his slow recovery, they still continued combining animals in their show.

Last January, Siegfried and Roy officially announced that they will retire from their entertainment duo. That 2003 incident had partly paralyzed Roy. This must be a sad way for their fans to start a new year but the laughters they created will linger and they will remain to be idols for Seattle magicians who wants to follow their path.

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