Posts
Newsletter of IBM Ring #170
The Bev Bergeron Ring
Next general meeting Wednesday, 11/19/2008 at 7:30 PM SHARP
Board meeting at 6:30 pm
Meeting theme: (belated) Election (or Political) Magic
The Elks Club Lodge #1079,
12 N. Primrose Dr., Orlando, Florida 32803
“The corner of Primrose Drive and Central Boulevard” (click for map)
Lunch meetings in the McDonalds on the north side of SandLake Rd between I-4 and International Drive near the rest rooms
Website: http://www.ring170.com/
F. A. M. E. is the Florida Association of Magical Entertainers
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Directory
Craig J. Fennessy – President – CraigFennessy@gmail.com
Chris Dunn- Vice President – Youngdunns@yahoo.com
Art Thomas – Treasurer – Art.Thomas@Disney.com
Dennis Philips- Secretary – Dennis@alliedcostumes.com
James Songster- Director at Large, - JjTjMagic@aol.com
Joe Vecciarelli- Sgt at Arms - talkingmute@tampabay.rr.com
Stefan Bartelski – Editor of “Famulus”- Famulus@illusioneer.com
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Tuesday, November 11, 2008
2008-11 Famulus Newsletter - Ring 170
Our October Ring meeting was at our new meeting location, The Elks Club at the corner of Primrose and Central, just east of downtown Orlando. The hall is ideal. We have a great stage, comfortable chairs, access to a reasonable buffet dinner before the meeting and a bar. President Craig Fennessy opened the shortened business meeting. There is a lot of magic activity in the next few months. Check our ring website to keep you informed. Craig informed the membership that next month is the nominating meeting for the election of club officers for next year. He encouraged members to consider serving the club in an elective office. Our club leadership welcomes new board members.
The rest of the meeting was devoted to a unique and powerful lecture by Fred Moore. Fred came to Orlando several decades ago from Ohio and developed into a top-notch professional act. A recent addition to his act and to his life is his wife, Adina. The couple is leaving soon for an extended European tour with their magic act. She is originally from Eastern Europe. Fred brought a wealth of knowledge gathered from years of working in all types of venues.
His lecture included not only a half-dozen of his original effects but detailed explanations of his advertising techniques, his business secrets for working with agents as well as his thoughts on music in his act. Fred makes excellent use of the popular remote controlled “Wireless Wizardry” device that many magicians use. With a remote control button he can provide drum-rolls, musical fanfares and engaging music for his act.
Fred opened with a coin routine that resembled a classic billiard ball routine. It was done to a lively musical score. His handling was skillful and exciting. After he concluded, he explained how the music matched his moves and enhanced the effects rather than just being a background sound. The drive toward excellence was a theme that Fred used for the rest of his lecture. He continued with an audience participation effect where a card was selected and returned to the middle of the deck. He then burned a hole in the card, while inside the deck, using a laser pointer. He revealed the selected scorched card with a large hole in it.
He followed with a short discussion on how important it is for any magician to be able to create an alternate act from any Wal-Mart in event their props are lost by the airlines. As an example he did a clever book test using 3 unprepared books. The method was ingenious and different and in many ways superior to the classic David Hoy method. Returning to performing excellence, Fred let us in or the secrets on how to smoothly bring up an audience member and handle a volunteer on stage.
Next was another clever card effect. Fred had a card selected and returned to the deck. It was the two of diamonds. After some by-play he attempts to find the card and the he flipped out of the deck the four of diamonds. The audience laughed at his apparent mistake but he had the last laugh. He twirled the card and the four diamond pips were in a circular arrangement! He then peeled off two of them and the card became the selected two of diamonds! Fred gave all the details on how he accomplished the trick and explained how to make it.
He did his version of the classic dollar bill switch with no thumb tip. He changed a real dollar bill into a fake play money bill and then turned the fake bill folded bill upside down and dumped out 4 real quarters. This was effect that is ideal for restaurant walk around magic.
Fred gave several examples of how his promotional materials have evolved from his early days. Early in his career he first used printed materials but he has now evolved to the point where today he uses only web sites and You Tube videos to distribute demonstration videos of his act. He even has alternate “agent friendly” websites where an agent can refer clients to see his act without the client being able to contact him directly. These insights into Fred’s business methods are priceless.
He did a hilarious kid’s routine that involved vanishing a small yellow silk (using a thumb tip) and making it appear in a bag, then in his sock, another finally the guy’s sleeve…This children’s routine, developed during Fred’s cruise ship years, is a simple way to keep the kids screaming and having fun.
He concluded his lecture with a card routine called “Voices in the Head” and to the delight of many he had the recorded CD track for sale. His audio player had a pre-recorded wizard’s voice. Fred responded to the comedic recorded dialog. The “Wizard” on the audio player reveals a card after lots of funny by play. If you get an opportunity see the Fred Moore lecture, take it. His professional insights are remarkable.
Good things are always happening in Ring 170.
Dennis Phillips
The rest of the meeting was devoted to a unique and powerful lecture by Fred Moore. Fred came to Orlando several decades ago from Ohio and developed into a top-notch professional act. A recent addition to his act and to his life is his wife, Adina. The couple is leaving soon for an extended European tour with their magic act. She is originally from Eastern Europe. Fred brought a wealth of knowledge gathered from years of working in all types of venues.
His lecture included not only a half-dozen of his original effects but detailed explanations of his advertising techniques, his business secrets for working with agents as well as his thoughts on music in his act. Fred makes excellent use of the popular remote controlled “Wireless Wizardry” device that many magicians use. With a remote control button he can provide drum-rolls, musical fanfares and engaging music for his act.
Fred opened with a coin routine that resembled a classic billiard ball routine. It was done to a lively musical score. His handling was skillful and exciting. After he concluded, he explained how the music matched his moves and enhanced the effects rather than just being a background sound. The drive toward excellence was a theme that Fred used for the rest of his lecture. He continued with an audience participation effect where a card was selected and returned to the middle of the deck. He then burned a hole in the card, while inside the deck, using a laser pointer. He revealed the selected scorched card with a large hole in it.
He followed with a short discussion on how important it is for any magician to be able to create an alternate act from any Wal-Mart in event their props are lost by the airlines. As an example he did a clever book test using 3 unprepared books. The method was ingenious and different and in many ways superior to the classic David Hoy method. Returning to performing excellence, Fred let us in or the secrets on how to smoothly bring up an audience member and handle a volunteer on stage.
Next was another clever card effect. Fred had a card selected and returned to the deck. It was the two of diamonds. After some by-play he attempts to find the card and the he flipped out of the deck the four of diamonds. The audience laughed at his apparent mistake but he had the last laugh. He twirled the card and the four diamond pips were in a circular arrangement! He then peeled off two of them and the card became the selected two of diamonds! Fred gave all the details on how he accomplished the trick and explained how to make it.
He did his version of the classic dollar bill switch with no thumb tip. He changed a real dollar bill into a fake play money bill and then turned the fake bill folded bill upside down and dumped out 4 real quarters. This was effect that is ideal for restaurant walk around magic.
Fred gave several examples of how his promotional materials have evolved from his early days. Early in his career he first used printed materials but he has now evolved to the point where today he uses only web sites and You Tube videos to distribute demonstration videos of his act. He even has alternate “agent friendly” websites where an agent can refer clients to see his act without the client being able to contact him directly. These insights into Fred’s business methods are priceless.
He did a hilarious kid’s routine that involved vanishing a small yellow silk (using a thumb tip) and making it appear in a bag, then in his sock, another finally the guy’s sleeve…This children’s routine, developed during Fred’s cruise ship years, is a simple way to keep the kids screaming and having fun.
He concluded his lecture with a card routine called “Voices in the Head” and to the delight of many he had the recorded CD track for sale. His audio player had a pre-recorded wizard’s voice. Fred responded to the comedic recorded dialog. The “Wizard” on the audio player reveals a card after lots of funny by play. If you get an opportunity see the Fred Moore lecture, take it. His professional insights are remarkable.
Good things are always happening in Ring 170.
Dennis Phillips
2008-11 From the Editor
Welcome to this month's newsletter, I just wish for all of us that the economic news was better. It is obvious that hard times will fall upon the entertainment industry, so there may be slim pickings this holiday season for our professional members. I heard that Disney has cancelled all their staff Christmas parties. While they do not usually use external entertainers, their decision is perhaps a sample of what other companies are doing too.
We can but hope that the promises of our new president turn out to be more than just political rhetoric. Even then, it will take time until things improve. Maybe magic will help us escape the day to day issues.
Thanks to all our contributers. I was disappointed that none of the ring's attendees have sent a review, perhaps one will appear in time for the December newsletter [hint, hint].
Have a magical month
Your editor
Stefan
We can but hope that the promises of our new president turn out to be more than just political rhetoric. Even then, it will take time until things improve. Maybe magic will help us escape the day to day issues.
Thanks to all our contributers. I was disappointed that none of the ring's attendees have sent a review, perhaps one will appear in time for the December newsletter [hint, hint].
Have a magical month
Your editor
Stefan
2008-11 FMA Officers
Greetings,
the Florida Magicians Association held its meeting this Sunday, November 9, 2008.
The following were elected to serve as FMA officers for 2008-2009:
President: Dan Stapleton
Vice President: Jeff Silver
Secretary/Treasurer: Robert Schvey
Web-maintenance: Simone Marron
Congratulations to the new officers. We look forward to continued growth by the FMA.
Keep a dream in the making, for you create your tomorrows by what you dream today.
Maria Ibâñez
the Florida Magicians Association held its meeting this Sunday, November 9, 2008.
The following were elected to serve as FMA officers for 2008-2009:
President: Dan Stapleton
Vice President: Jeff Silver
Secretary/Treasurer: Robert Schvey
Web-maintenance: Simone Marron
Congratulations to the new officers. We look forward to continued growth by the FMA.
Keep a dream in the making, for you create your tomorrows by what you dream today.
Maria Ibâñez
2008-11 Christmas Exchange
Jackie Manna is organizing the Christmas Gift Exchange at our December meeting again. Full details will follow in a seperate newsletter mailing, but start wrapping and keep the date free.
Stefan
Stefan
2008-11 Upcoming events
For those of that are interested here is a list of up coming events on non meeting nights that may interest you...
1. Billy DamonBalloon get together, November 13th, at 2493 McMichael Rd, St Cloud Fl34771.
Seating islimited.....E-mail: Bdamon@Embarqmail.com
2. Dan Stapleton –Teach-in at Chris Dunn’s house, November 17th., 7pm at 1112 Druid Rd.Maitland, Fl 32751.... Seating is limited,
E-mail reservation to: Youngdunns@yahoo.com $10.00 per person
3. Aldo Colombini –Teach-in at Chris Dunn’s house December 11th, 7pm,at 112 Druid Rd. Maitland,Fl 32751.... Seating is limited,
E-mail reservation to: Youngdunns@yahoo.com $30.00 per person
Just want to let you all know what was happening in the next couple of months. Hope to see you at some of these functions.
Craig Fennessy
1. Billy DamonBalloon get together, November 13th, at 2493 McMichael Rd, St Cloud Fl34771.
Seating islimited.....E-mail: Bdamon@Embarqmail.com
2. Dan Stapleton –Teach-in at Chris Dunn’s house, November 17th., 7pm at 1112 Druid Rd.Maitland, Fl 32751.... Seating is limited,
E-mail reservation to: Youngdunns@yahoo.com $10.00 per person
3. Aldo Colombini –Teach-in at Chris Dunn’s house December 11th, 7pm,at 112 Druid Rd. Maitland,Fl 32751.... Seating is limited,
E-mail reservation to: Youngdunns@yahoo.com $30.00 per person
Just want to let you all know what was happening in the next couple of months. Hope to see you at some of these functions.
Craig Fennessy
2008-11 Request for recording
Did anyone tape the Masked Magician show from November 3rd?
Dan Stapleton
[editor's note: Did you try YouTube?]
Dan Stapleton
[editor's note: Did you try YouTube?]
2008-11 Houdini Movies
from Dan Stapleton:
For those "Hollywood" Houdini fans, two new wonderful movies involving Houdini.
If you enjoyed The Illusionist then you will enjoy these.
For those "Hollywood" Houdini fans, two new wonderful movies involving Houdini.
- Fairy Tale: A True Story (1997) Harvey Keitel plays Houdini.
- Death Defying Acts (2007)starring Catherine Zetta Jones as famous Boston psychic "Margery" and Guy Pierce as Houdini.
If you enjoyed The Illusionist then you will enjoy these.
2008-11 Info about our nearby ring 258
Nominations and elections took place in Leesburg Ring 258. Our new officers are: President – “Magic Ian” Sutz, Vice President - Greg Solomon, Secretary – Roger “Foo” Reid and Treasurer – George Smallwood. Last year we had 4 lectures, and monthly members nights where members performed. We intend to keep up that activity, plus our April show at the Villages. We will also continue to support ring 170 lectures by subsidizing the lecture cost to our members. We had a 7 act show at Hawthorne and sold out. We were asked to make this a regular event. Our club probably earned half the admission and will donate portions to Boggy Creek, and Lake/Sumter hospice. You can check out our monthly minutes at www.ring258.blogspot.com
Our ring will have our Holiday Party & Gift Exchange and take place on Saturday evening, December 27th, at Royal Highlands, beginning at 6:00 PM. $20 admission includes dinner and is open to Ring 170 members.
Tom Craven (in February) is one of several lecturers scheduled next year, we will honor ring 170 member prices for our lectures.
Member Tom Golabek just placed his DVD clip on Youtube on Poker Chip and card Flourishes, check out his DVD at www.pokerchipDVD.com
Magic Ian will be releasing a series of magic DVD's in January and February and they will be in shops shortly after. Also, a re-release of his double match pull. http://matchpull.blogspot.com/
-Ian
Our ring will have our Holiday Party & Gift Exchange and take place on Saturday evening, December 27th, at Royal Highlands, beginning at 6:00 PM. $20 admission includes dinner and is open to Ring 170 members.
Tom Craven (in February) is one of several lecturers scheduled next year, we will honor ring 170 member prices for our lectures.
Member Tom Golabek just placed his DVD clip on Youtube on Poker Chip and card Flourishes, check out his DVD at www.pokerchipDVD.com
Magic Ian will be releasing a series of magic DVD's in January and February and they will be in shops shortly after. Also, a re-release of his double match pull. http://matchpull.blogspot.com/
-Ian
2008-11 Jeff Hobson Info (belated)
For those of you that missed the recent lecture...some info about what you missed:
His television appearances include HBO, Showtime's Comedy Club Network, Fox Family's Masters of Illusion, NBC's World's Greatest Magic as well as the star of Thames Television's Magic Comedy Strip a 16 week television series in England. Hobson introduction to Las Vegas started with an audition at the famed comedy club, Catch a Rising Star at Bally's Casino. This audition turned into numerous return, headline engagements. In 1993, Hobson joined the cast of Spellbound at Harrah's Casino. This run lasted over four years.
After a three-year hiatus that took Hobson to Reno to produce and star in the critically-acclaimed magic production show called, Carnival of Wonders, he came back home to become the "Host of Las Vegas". Since then, he has starred in his own, one-man show, Money and Madness and been the Master of Ceremonies for countless special events and production shows including the World's Greatest Magic Show ,V-The Ultimate Variety Show and, currently, The Little Legends Show.
An interview from “Everything Las Vegas”
JEFF HOBSON `THE HILARIOUS HOST OF LAS VEGAS’ PLAYS `V’ NIGHTLY.
Comedy/magician Jeff Hobson who likes to be known as “The Hilarious Host of Las Vegas” is no ordinary performer but has the ability to take a series of world-class acts and make them into an A+ show in “V – The Ultimate Variety Show” in the V Theatre at the Aladdin’s Desert Passage.
The unpretentious Detroit native began learning magic at age seven when a magician who was a police officer used magic to teach safety with red, yellow and green balls representing a traffic light. He was impressed. That’s when he knew what career path he wanted to take in life. Even though he’s one of the best watch thieves you will ever witness his most entertaining talent is hosting “V” with his comical barbs and lightning tongue. Jeff’s honed his act like a star with a little bit of the late Paul Lynde and the fancy clothes a la Liberace.
On Sept. 21, Jeff is heading to the United Kingdom for five days to perform at The International Brotherhood of Magicians. The society has 20,000-25,000 members worldwide. We’re expecting 1,000-1,200 to attend. The show is called “WOW!’ in London’s West End on Sept. 24th. It’s a benefit performance for the London subway bombing victims.
Jeff said, “I was born on March 23, 1962. I graduated from Lutheran High East in Harper Woods, Michigan. I was the class clown and did all those impressions of Richard Nixon and so forth. At age 17, I was making more money than my father was working full-time. I was doing shows so I didn’t have to go to college. He was a tool-and-die maker and made a decent wage. I had a teacher offer to pay my way through college but turned it down.”
Jeff Hobson has opened for some big headliners as follows: Lee Greenwood, Barbara Mandrel, Louise Mandrel, Phyllis Diller, David Sanborn, Steve Allen and Roy Clark and many more.
Jeff says, “Comedy is a heck of a lot harder then law school. I get people to participate on-stage. It’s one of the biggest fears in the world to audience members but they end up having fun and always remember it and will talk about it for life. I love the challenge and especially like the people who don’t speak English. I’m visual so they understand what I do and say.”
His television appearances include HBO, Showtime's Comedy Club Network, Fox Family's Masters of Illusion, NBC's World's Greatest Magic as well as the star of Thames Television's Magic Comedy Strip a 16 week television series in England. Hobson introduction to Las Vegas started with an audition at the famed comedy club, Catch a Rising Star at Bally's Casino. This audition turned into numerous return, headline engagements. In 1993, Hobson joined the cast of Spellbound at Harrah's Casino. This run lasted over four years.
After a three-year hiatus that took Hobson to Reno to produce and star in the critically-acclaimed magic production show called, Carnival of Wonders, he came back home to become the "Host of Las Vegas". Since then, he has starred in his own, one-man show, Money and Madness and been the Master of Ceremonies for countless special events and production shows including the World's Greatest Magic Show ,V-The Ultimate Variety Show and, currently, The Little Legends Show.
An interview from “Everything Las Vegas”
JEFF HOBSON `THE HILARIOUS HOST OF LAS VEGAS’ PLAYS `V’ NIGHTLY.
Comedy/magician Jeff Hobson who likes to be known as “The Hilarious Host of Las Vegas” is no ordinary performer but has the ability to take a series of world-class acts and make them into an A+ show in “V – The Ultimate Variety Show” in the V Theatre at the Aladdin’s Desert Passage.
The unpretentious Detroit native began learning magic at age seven when a magician who was a police officer used magic to teach safety with red, yellow and green balls representing a traffic light. He was impressed. That’s when he knew what career path he wanted to take in life. Even though he’s one of the best watch thieves you will ever witness his most entertaining talent is hosting “V” with his comical barbs and lightning tongue. Jeff’s honed his act like a star with a little bit of the late Paul Lynde and the fancy clothes a la Liberace.
On Sept. 21, Jeff is heading to the United Kingdom for five days to perform at The International Brotherhood of Magicians. The society has 20,000-25,000 members worldwide. We’re expecting 1,000-1,200 to attend. The show is called “WOW!’ in London’s West End on Sept. 24th. It’s a benefit performance for the London subway bombing victims.
Jeff said, “I was born on March 23, 1962. I graduated from Lutheran High East in Harper Woods, Michigan. I was the class clown and did all those impressions of Richard Nixon and so forth. At age 17, I was making more money than my father was working full-time. I was doing shows so I didn’t have to go to college. He was a tool-and-die maker and made a decent wage. I had a teacher offer to pay my way through college but turned it down.”
Jeff Hobson has opened for some big headliners as follows: Lee Greenwood, Barbara Mandrel, Louise Mandrel, Phyllis Diller, David Sanborn, Steve Allen and Roy Clark and many more.
Jeff says, “Comedy is a heck of a lot harder then law school. I get people to participate on-stage. It’s one of the biggest fears in the world to audience members but they end up having fun and always remember it and will talk about it for life. I love the challenge and especially like the people who don’t speak English. I’m visual so they understand what I do and say.”
2008-11 Dennis' Deliberations
“and so it goes.”
- from Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut -
I have known a number of strange failed magicians in my five decades of being around this art. Each story is very sad. Periodically I will try to chronicle some of these people and their lost dreams of making it to the “big time” in magic. This month I will feature two from the 70s and early 80s. Perhaps these examples will explain why my wife, Cindy, is not too warm to all of the people I know who are into magic. We have had sad and tragic encounters with magicians during our 36 years of marriage.
His stage name was his last name, Booker, spelled backwards (“Rekoob”). He called himself “Rekoob the Magnificent”.
Booker was a locksmith in the Southern town where I was employed on local TV in the early 70s. He was one of the best locksmiths in the business with 15 employees, a fleet of step-vans and contracts with all the major businesses, but he had a passion for magic and illusions. His locksmith business provided him with a fabulous income. But the drive to be a touring magician drove him crazy. He sold his profitable business to go into magic “fulltime”. He spent many thousands of dollars trying to get into magic fulltime.
Sadly he was a real Redneck…Horrible Southern twang in his language, high raspy voice, zero originality. He was as they said about the Hapsburg Dynasty in Europe in the late 1800s, “He never learned anything and he never forgot anything!”
His major talent was that he could sling the bull to a client and buyer when he was selling a show (“people pass out when I do my Cremation!”) He bugged the snot out of me, when I lived in his town, wanting to be on my local TV show and have me promote him over the air.
He divorced his first wife. Although she got a sizable portion of the proceeds from his locksmith business, it was probably a good move if he wanted a stage assistant. She looked like Rosanne Barr on a bad hair-day.
He married some really young bone-thin woman. Mack was late 40s; she was in her late 20s. They had 2 kids in a row. She had no figure and an overbite that would have been an orthodontist’s challenge and joy to fix. She looked like something someone had just dragged out of the Carolina backwoods.
Booker did a few fairs (much like Harry Albacker) and finally ended up losing everything he had in life except his ancient Concord Motor home and a small utility trailer with magic props.
He traveled with his wife and 2 young kids doing Polaroid photos and a little magic (“Your picture with the bunny!). They mostly appeared in the old JM Fields discount stores and K-Marts. The stores just gave him a small space near the entrance and whatever he could clear from the photos was his income. Sometimes 4 photos sold was a good day.
Anyway… he traced me down to Orlando after I moved here in the fall of 1975 (drat you Phil Morris for telling him!)
In December of 1975 he parked his motor home in front of the house I rented on Harmon Avenue in Winter Park. It backed right up to Interstate-4. Car noise was horrible! Vaarrrooom! It was solid 24 hours a day, but it only cost us $250 a month to rent back then.
He and his wife and kids sort of moved onto our lot. Most of the days they would drive over to the old JM Fields at the corner of Lee Road and 17-92 to do magic and photos. The pickings were slim because Orlando was in a housing collapse and local depression in 1975 following the initial Disney build-out and the gas shortages. In the evening they were back in front of my house, with their motor home, for the night.
To this day, Cindy detests “Dinty Moore” stew because at night they would eat with us and every other night we all had stew and rice. I think a few times we had Hamburger Helper with precious little hamburger and lots of off-brand cheese macaroni. (Cindy bought all of this, of course) After a week of running an extension cord and water hose to the motor home, his dump tank filled and he could never figure out a way to tap into my home sewer clean-out plug so he moved on. He tried dumping a couple of times leaving a pool of human feces in my front yard.
Evening conversations were filled with a half pack of Camels and grandiose dreams of big illusion shows and going to Broadway. Promptly at 9PM the Corby’s Whiskey came out. All the frustration would then be liberated and the pent up anger and rage would spill over into an hour tirade about how the world had screwed him and what a great illusionist he was. I vividly recall him sucking on a cigarette that he had stuck in a front missing tooth. He could smoke almost an entire cigarette with no hands. His props were mostly Abbott’s illusions that he had he picked up from other dreamers whose dreams had faded away into disillusionment.
Mack died a few years later…Phil said it was heart trouble. It may have been. My guess would be that years of drinking had corroded away his liver and his lungs were worn out from chain smoking. He ended up leaving his Abbott’s Cremation in my driveway because the utility trailer he was towing had sprung a leak and it was ruining his props. The Cremation was the only prop left where the plywood had not warped. It was the same Cremation Illusion that I used in the 1976 Lake Eola Halloween Show that Dan Stapleton produced!
A few months later in early 1976 a young, thin, clean-cut preacher’s-kid, JD, whose father was a rabid snot-slinging Fundamentalist preacher in Kissimmee stopped into the shop. At first, he vaguely reminded me of a short-haired preppy version of Doug Henning.
JD was into Gospel magic. He worshipped Andre Kole. He dreamed of being a Gospel magician-illusionist. He left shortly after that to go to a Bible College in Kentucky to major in ministry. He got through college but fell into booze even though drinking was absolutely forbidden by any of the students. He told me that he had never tasted alcohol in any form until he was away at the Bible School. He was off campus and sneaked a drink. He said he was addicted after one drink. He had finally found something that made him feel good. I often wonder if he had just transferred his fundamentalist religious addiction to another cult based on alcohol and sex.
After he graduated, with a degree in Christian Ministry and an internship as a Youth pastor, he could not make enough money to live so he soon ended up working as an Emcee in topless bars in Northern Kentucky. Once in a drunken stupor he told me that he had a “ministry:” to the people that worked in bars. His rationalization was
“Jesus made wine and they said he was a drunkard. Jesus was also friends with prostitutes!” He followed up each statement by rattling off a list of Bible verses to prove his point. His pious family disowned him but he returned to Orlando and worked in my costume shop for a few months at Halloween before going to work as a DJ at one of the South Orange Blossom Trail Topless Dancer Clubs.
Since every Fundamentalist church insisted he “get rid of his sins” before they would help him, he had no close connection to any religious group, so I tried to get him into AA and for a month or two he attended their meetings. I was the only church-going friend that he had. Being from a Fundamentalist background he could never accept my mainstream Christian approach as being valid. I remember him being stinking drunk-as-a-skunk and still trying to convert me over to his Fundamentalism. He booked a few Gospel magic shows in distant churches, with preachers who did not know him well, and kept his dream alive that he would be a big-named Fundamentalist Gospel illusionist one day. I hired him and his girlfriend (a biker chick turned topless dancer) a few times on some of my magic road-tours. She frequently confided her own demons to my wife Cindy.
The Flying Carpet Illusion that I own today was a gift from him for picking him up from jail after a DUI arrest.
He permanently lost his driver’s license after a couple more DUIs. He was forced to use the bus system. He married his biker chick girlfriend when she told him that she was pregnant. Her ex-husband came by and beat the tar out of him when he found out that his ex-wife was expecting. She divorced JD shortly after the baby was born. He emotionally went downhill and died of acute alcohol poisoning at far too young an age… One day, a short time later, I pulled up into my driveway at my house in Audubon Park and pieces of old illusions were littering my carport. I knew whose they were but I had no idea how they got there.
His widow had gone back to her ex-husband and they both wanted to get rid of all the memories of JD so for some reason they did not just trash his props but loaded them in the back of his mud truck and dumped them in my carport! Maybe it was her final statement to me; maybe it was a gesture of thanks to Cindy and me for helping them, or maybe she just wanted Cindy’s attention. She did call up Cindy a short time later to explain that her baby was not JD’s but her ex-husband’s. She provided explicit details as why that was the fact. She told Cindy that she wanted to set the record straight with the only friends that JD had that were left on earth. I walked into the kitchen just as that phone call was ending. Cindy turned, clutched me and buried her face in my chest and sobbed like a baby.
Dennis Phillips
- from Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut -
I have known a number of strange failed magicians in my five decades of being around this art. Each story is very sad. Periodically I will try to chronicle some of these people and their lost dreams of making it to the “big time” in magic. This month I will feature two from the 70s and early 80s. Perhaps these examples will explain why my wife, Cindy, is not too warm to all of the people I know who are into magic. We have had sad and tragic encounters with magicians during our 36 years of marriage.
His stage name was his last name, Booker, spelled backwards (“Rekoob”). He called himself “Rekoob the Magnificent”.
Booker was a locksmith in the Southern town where I was employed on local TV in the early 70s. He was one of the best locksmiths in the business with 15 employees, a fleet of step-vans and contracts with all the major businesses, but he had a passion for magic and illusions. His locksmith business provided him with a fabulous income. But the drive to be a touring magician drove him crazy. He sold his profitable business to go into magic “fulltime”. He spent many thousands of dollars trying to get into magic fulltime.
Sadly he was a real Redneck…Horrible Southern twang in his language, high raspy voice, zero originality. He was as they said about the Hapsburg Dynasty in Europe in the late 1800s, “He never learned anything and he never forgot anything!”
His major talent was that he could sling the bull to a client and buyer when he was selling a show (“people pass out when I do my Cremation!”) He bugged the snot out of me, when I lived in his town, wanting to be on my local TV show and have me promote him over the air.
He divorced his first wife. Although she got a sizable portion of the proceeds from his locksmith business, it was probably a good move if he wanted a stage assistant. She looked like Rosanne Barr on a bad hair-day.
He married some really young bone-thin woman. Mack was late 40s; she was in her late 20s. They had 2 kids in a row. She had no figure and an overbite that would have been an orthodontist’s challenge and joy to fix. She looked like something someone had just dragged out of the Carolina backwoods.
Booker did a few fairs (much like Harry Albacker) and finally ended up losing everything he had in life except his ancient Concord Motor home and a small utility trailer with magic props.
He traveled with his wife and 2 young kids doing Polaroid photos and a little magic (“Your picture with the bunny!). They mostly appeared in the old JM Fields discount stores and K-Marts. The stores just gave him a small space near the entrance and whatever he could clear from the photos was his income. Sometimes 4 photos sold was a good day.
Anyway… he traced me down to Orlando after I moved here in the fall of 1975 (drat you Phil Morris for telling him!)
In December of 1975 he parked his motor home in front of the house I rented on Harmon Avenue in Winter Park. It backed right up to Interstate-4. Car noise was horrible! Vaarrrooom! It was solid 24 hours a day, but it only cost us $250 a month to rent back then.
He and his wife and kids sort of moved onto our lot. Most of the days they would drive over to the old JM Fields at the corner of Lee Road and 17-92 to do magic and photos. The pickings were slim because Orlando was in a housing collapse and local depression in 1975 following the initial Disney build-out and the gas shortages. In the evening they were back in front of my house, with their motor home, for the night.
To this day, Cindy detests “Dinty Moore” stew because at night they would eat with us and every other night we all had stew and rice. I think a few times we had Hamburger Helper with precious little hamburger and lots of off-brand cheese macaroni. (Cindy bought all of this, of course) After a week of running an extension cord and water hose to the motor home, his dump tank filled and he could never figure out a way to tap into my home sewer clean-out plug so he moved on. He tried dumping a couple of times leaving a pool of human feces in my front yard.
Evening conversations were filled with a half pack of Camels and grandiose dreams of big illusion shows and going to Broadway. Promptly at 9PM the Corby’s Whiskey came out. All the frustration would then be liberated and the pent up anger and rage would spill over into an hour tirade about how the world had screwed him and what a great illusionist he was. I vividly recall him sucking on a cigarette that he had stuck in a front missing tooth. He could smoke almost an entire cigarette with no hands. His props were mostly Abbott’s illusions that he had he picked up from other dreamers whose dreams had faded away into disillusionment.
Mack died a few years later…Phil said it was heart trouble. It may have been. My guess would be that years of drinking had corroded away his liver and his lungs were worn out from chain smoking. He ended up leaving his Abbott’s Cremation in my driveway because the utility trailer he was towing had sprung a leak and it was ruining his props. The Cremation was the only prop left where the plywood had not warped. It was the same Cremation Illusion that I used in the 1976 Lake Eola Halloween Show that Dan Stapleton produced!
A few months later in early 1976 a young, thin, clean-cut preacher’s-kid, JD, whose father was a rabid snot-slinging Fundamentalist preacher in Kissimmee stopped into the shop. At first, he vaguely reminded me of a short-haired preppy version of Doug Henning.
JD was into Gospel magic. He worshipped Andre Kole. He dreamed of being a Gospel magician-illusionist. He left shortly after that to go to a Bible College in Kentucky to major in ministry. He got through college but fell into booze even though drinking was absolutely forbidden by any of the students. He told me that he had never tasted alcohol in any form until he was away at the Bible School. He was off campus and sneaked a drink. He said he was addicted after one drink. He had finally found something that made him feel good. I often wonder if he had just transferred his fundamentalist religious addiction to another cult based on alcohol and sex.
After he graduated, with a degree in Christian Ministry and an internship as a Youth pastor, he could not make enough money to live so he soon ended up working as an Emcee in topless bars in Northern Kentucky. Once in a drunken stupor he told me that he had a “ministry:” to the people that worked in bars. His rationalization was
“Jesus made wine and they said he was a drunkard. Jesus was also friends with prostitutes!” He followed up each statement by rattling off a list of Bible verses to prove his point. His pious family disowned him but he returned to Orlando and worked in my costume shop for a few months at Halloween before going to work as a DJ at one of the South Orange Blossom Trail Topless Dancer Clubs.
Since every Fundamentalist church insisted he “get rid of his sins” before they would help him, he had no close connection to any religious group, so I tried to get him into AA and for a month or two he attended their meetings. I was the only church-going friend that he had. Being from a Fundamentalist background he could never accept my mainstream Christian approach as being valid. I remember him being stinking drunk-as-a-skunk and still trying to convert me over to his Fundamentalism. He booked a few Gospel magic shows in distant churches, with preachers who did not know him well, and kept his dream alive that he would be a big-named Fundamentalist Gospel illusionist one day. I hired him and his girlfriend (a biker chick turned topless dancer) a few times on some of my magic road-tours. She frequently confided her own demons to my wife Cindy.
The Flying Carpet Illusion that I own today was a gift from him for picking him up from jail after a DUI arrest.
He permanently lost his driver’s license after a couple more DUIs. He was forced to use the bus system. He married his biker chick girlfriend when she told him that she was pregnant. Her ex-husband came by and beat the tar out of him when he found out that his ex-wife was expecting. She divorced JD shortly after the baby was born. He emotionally went downhill and died of acute alcohol poisoning at far too young an age… One day, a short time later, I pulled up into my driveway at my house in Audubon Park and pieces of old illusions were littering my carport. I knew whose they were but I had no idea how they got there.
His widow had gone back to her ex-husband and they both wanted to get rid of all the memories of JD so for some reason they did not just trash his props but loaded them in the back of his mud truck and dumped them in my carport! Maybe it was her final statement to me; maybe it was a gesture of thanks to Cindy and me for helping them, or maybe she just wanted Cindy’s attention. She did call up Cindy a short time later to explain that her baby was not JD’s but her ex-husband’s. She provided explicit details as why that was the fact. She told Cindy that she wanted to set the record straight with the only friends that JD had that were left on earth. I walked into the kitchen just as that phone call was ending. Cindy turned, clutched me and buried her face in my chest and sobbed like a baby.
Dennis Phillips
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