Roy Horn, the legendary Las Vegas magician of the Siegfried & Roy duo, died at the age of 75 from COVID-19 complications.
For decades, Horn and his stage and performance partner, Siegfried Fischbacher, were amazing their Las Vegas audiences with stunning illusions.
As it was announced, however, Horn died from coronavirus complications at Mountain View Hospital about one week after he tested positive for the killer bug.
“Today, the world has lost one of the greats of magic, but I have lost my best friend,” Fischbacher expressed in a statement following his partner’s death.
“From the moment we met, I knew Roy and I, together, would change the world. There could be no Siegfried without Roy, and no Roy without Siegfried.
“Roy was a fighter his whole life including during these final days. I give my heartfelt appreciation to the team of doctors, nurses and staff at Mountain View Hospital who worked heroically against this insidious virus that ultimately took Roy’s life.”
Roy and Siegfried, who are both originally from Germany, met on a cruise ship back in 1957. Together, the pair learned magic tricks and eventually developed their own magic act they started performing at nightclub circuits in Europe.
A decade later, after incorporating exotic animals, including tigers, into their act, the pair was asked to start performing in Las Vegas where they quickly rose to fame.
The illusionists’ career as they knew it came to an end in 2003 when Roy suffered severe injuries after being attacked by a Bengal tiger during a performance.
As Roy insisted, however, the animal was innocent and merely tried to drag him to safety after he fainted due to a stroke. After the incident, Roy begged for the tiger not to be put down and insisted that the big cat saved his life. The tiger, named Montecore, later died of natural causes.
Following a long rehabilitation, in 2006, Siegfried & Roy were inducted into the Walk of Fame in Las Vegas.
In 2009, the pair once again took to the stage in a comeback performance aimed to raise funds for the Las Vegas’ Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.
A decade later, the pair also took to the 23rd annual Power of Love gala as surprise guests.
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