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Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy Dies From COVID-19 Complications

'I Have Lost My Best Friend,' Mourns Siegfried Fischbacher, Horn's Lifelong Friend

By Christina St-JeanPublished 4 years ago 3 min read
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Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, if you heard the names Siegfried and Roy, it was with a mixture of awe and admiration. The two were among the biggest magicians and illusionists in Las Vegas, and their shows were made even more impressive with their impressive array of big cats.

Their show was held at the Mirage and drew some $45 million annually. According to reports, this was a massive production, with some 267 people employed. The night of October 3, 2003 was a fairly standard production for the duo, except as everyone knows by now, it nearly ended in the death of #Roy Horn, who was dragged off stage by a 400 pound, 7 foot long giant white tiger named Mantecore. Horn had suffered a stroke, had virtually bled out, and was left permanently impaired by the incident, only able to speak with difficulty and walk short distances, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The show was immediately shuttered and Horn spent the next several months fighting for his life, at first at the hospital and then at the compound he shared with #Siegfried Fischbacher.

In short, #RoyHorn has been a fighter since that fateful night back in 2003 when he nearly died. On May 8, 2020, though, Horn, now 74 years old, succumbed to complications from COVID-19, leaving an unparalleled legacy for his fans and leaving his longtime companion #SiegfriedFischbacher in mourning.

It seems almost impossible to me - and I'm sure to Fischbacher and Siegfried and Roy's legion of fans - that Horn would have already survived a stroke, and severe respiratory damage, among other significant ailments and then succumb in fairly short order to COVID-19.

What also remains clear is the significant impact #SiegfriedandRoy have had on their contemporaries and on those that followed. The duo has been singled out by the likes of #PennJillette, #CrissAngel and #DavidBlaine as having been huge influences on them as magicians.

"[Siegfried & Roy] invented, created, pioneered the very idea that a magic show could be a full evening in Vegas," Jillette tweeted, adding that #PennandTeller wouldn't be a part of the Las Vegas landscape were it not for Siegfried and Roy.

While Horn is survived by a brother, Werner, the gaping hole in Fischbacher's world following the loss of his lifelong friend Horn has got to leave Fischbacher reeling. Horn has survived much since that fateful night in 2003, and Fischbacher was there for every step of his recovery. Now that Horn has passed a scant 10 days after discovering that he had tested positive for COVID-19, it would almost be certain that Fischbacher is at a loss for how to proceed without his dear friend.

The duo met aboard the TS Bremen, where Fischbacher was working as a magician. He met Horn and asked Horn to be his assistant during a performance. The duo were fired from TS Bremen when it was discovered that Horn had brought a live cheetah aboard, but were quickly scouted by a cruise line based in New York, according to Wikipedia, and started working for that company.

"Today, the world has lost one of the greats of magic, but I have lost my best friend," Fischbacher said, according to CNN. "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."

He also saluted Horn's will to survive and noted that his friend had an indomitable spirit that saw him through almost any challenge that life threw his way.

"Roy was a fighter his whole life including during these final days," Fischbacher said.

A memorial for Horn is planned for a later date.

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About the Creator

Christina St-Jean

I'm a high school English and French teacher who trains in the martial arts and works towards continuous self-improvement.

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