The post Roy Horn of Vegas duo Siegfried & Roy dead at 75 from coronavirus appeared first on Virus Reports.
]]>Siegfried Fischbacher (L) and Roy Horn, of the duo Siegfried & Roy.
Reuters, Steve Marcus
Roy Horn, half of the famed Las Vegas magic and entertainment duo Siegfried & Roy, has died of complications related to coronavirus, partner Siegfried Fischbacher said in a statement Friday. He was 75.
Last month Horn tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19, a spokesperson for the duo said. He was being treated at a Las Vegas hospital.
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“Today, the world has lost one of the greats of magic, but I have lost my best friend,” Fischbacher said. “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.”
They put on shows in Las Vegas for decades, and their work with big cats became a staple of entertainment on the Strip.
In 2003, a 380-pound tiger, Mantecore, bit Horn’s neck during a show at the Mirage Las Vegas. It dragged him off stage. The attack crushed his windpipe and left the then-60-year-old partially paralyzed, ending the long-running “Siegfried & Roy” production.
Horn was born in wartime Germany as “bombs were exploding all around” his mother, according to the pair’s website.
The duo met more than 60 ago when they worked on a cruise ship, Horn as a steward and Siegfriend as a magician, according to the statement. Horn ended helping with the act.
“Roy was a fighter his whole life including during these final days,” Fischbacher said. “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.”
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Roy Horn, who found fame as one half of the Siegfried & Roy duo of Las Vegas-based magicians, has died. He was 75.
A spokesman for the duo said Horn died Friday in a Las Vegas hospital due to complications related to COVID-19.
“Today, the world has lost one of the greats of magic, but I have lost my best friend,” Siegfried Fischbacher said in a statement obtained by Fox News. “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.
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Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn (R) attend the 19th annual Keep Memory Alive ‘Power of Love Gala’ benefit for the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health honoring Andrea Bocelli and Veronica Bocelli at MGM Grand Garden Arena on June 13, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
(Getty)
“Roy was a fighter his whole life including during these final days,” Fischbacher’s statement continued. “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.”
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Last month, a rep for Horn confirmed that he had tested positive for the coronavirus and was being treated.
“We can confirm that Roy Horn has tested positive for the virus that causes Covid-19 and is currently responding well to treatment,” the statement said at the time. “Most importantly, Siegfried & Roy send positive wishes to everyone impacted by the pandemic.”
According to the release announcing Horn’s death, he developed a connection to animals at an early age, which began with his wolfdog, Hexe, and his pet cheetah, Chico, which he’d adopted from the Bremen Zoo.
Horn went on to work as a steward on a cruise ship, where he assisted Fischbacher in a performance of his magic act. At one point, the story goes, Horn asked Fischbacher: “Siegfried, disappearing rabbits are ordinary, but can you make a cheetah disappear?”
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As Siegfried & Roy, the duo traveled around the world, but it was their forty-year run in Las Vegas that cemented them as superstars. Horn and Siegfried got their start in Sin City in 1967 as a featured act in “Follies Bergère,” “Hallelujah Hollywood” and “Lido de Paris,” then became headliners in “Beyond Belief” in 1981 — and finally landed a 14-year run at The Mirage, which began in 1989.
Magicians Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn (R) arrive at the gala premiere of ‘The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil’ at The Mirage Hotel & Casino June 30, 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
(Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
“In their good vs. evil spectacle of lights, sound, and never-before-seen spectacular magic, the duo introduced the world to their extensive animal family – more than 55 white tigers, white lions, leopards, jaguars — even an elephant – that appeared and vanished with mesmerizing speed and panache,” according to the release.
However, Horn’s performance career ended on Oct. 3, 2003 after one of his white tigers, Montecore “reacted to what Roy believed was a stroke and dragged him off the stage.”
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Despite the incident, Horn went on to “live a full and rewarding life after the show ended.”
“Roy’s whole life was about defying the odds,” Siegfried added in a statement in the release on Friday. “He grew up with very little and became famous throughout the world for his showmanship, flair and his life-long commitment to animal conservation. He had a strength and will unlike anyone I have ever known.”
Born in Nordenham, in northern Germany, on Oct. 3, 1944, Horn is survived by his brother Werner Horn, his animal family and Siegfried.
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