Tiger-taming magician amazed millions
Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy, the duo whose extraordinary magic tricks astonished millions until Horn was critically injured in 2003 by one of the act’s famed white tigers, has died. He was 75. Horn died of complications from the coronavirus on Friday in a Las Vegas hospital, according to a statement.
“Today, the world has lost one of the greats of magic, but I have lost my best friend,” Siegfried Fischbacher said in the statement. “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.”
Horn was injured in October 2003 when a tiger named Montecore attacked him on stage at the Mirage hotel-casino in Las Vegas. He had severe neck injuries, lost a lot of blood and later suffered a stroke. He underwent lengthy rehabilitation, but the attack ended the longrunning Las Vegas Strip production.
The darker-haired of the flashy duo, Horn was credited with the idea of introducing an exotic animal — his pet cheetah — to the magic 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.”
The two became an institution in Las Vegas, where their magic and artistry consistently attracted sellout crowds. The pair performed six shows a week, 44 weeks per year.
Horn and Siegfried Fischbacher, both natives of Germany, had first teamed up in 1957 and made their Las Vegas debut a decade later. Siegfried & Roy began performing at the Mirage in 1990.
When they signed a lifetime contract with the Mirage in 2001, it was estimated they had performed 5,000 shows at the casino for 10 million fans since 1990 and had grossed more than $1 billion (U.S.). That came on top of thousands of shows at other venues in earlier years.
Funeral services will be private, with an expected public memorial. The Associated Press
Kobo series has Canadian flavour
Kobo is teaming up with a Toronto community newspaper to publish an Ebook series featuring Canadian authors. Rakuten Kobo and West End Phoenix, a print newspaper created by author and musician Dave Bidini, will digitally publish the three-volume “Telegrams
From Home” reflecting on life during COVID-19. The first volume, due May 29, includes work from Bidini, Claudia Dey, Margaret Atwood, Ivy Knight and more. Proceeds of all collections will go to charity, with the first one benefiting Community Food Centres of Canada. Debra Yeo
Elba lends voice to relief efforts
Idris Elba, who battled the coronavirus this year, has lent his voice to a new song about Black men and mental health that will benefit pandemic relief efforts.
Elba is featured on the song “Kings” by Kosine, a singersongwriter-producer best known for crafting hits for Big Sean, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna. Kosine, whose real name is Marcos Palacios, is one-half of the production duo Da Internz.
Elba delivers a spoken word performance on “Kings,” which was released Friday.
“This song looks at mental health, mental enrichment. We should stay away from conspiracies as they are a collision of fear and ignorance, two factors that erode our mental health,” Elba wrote on his Instagram page about “Kings.”
Kosine, who worked on songs for Nas, Ella Mai, John Legend and Ludacris, said a portion of the proceeds from “Kings” will benefit the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund. The Associated Press
Dylan announces new single, album
Bob Dylan is back. Again. For the third time during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nobel Prize-winning singer-songwriter has released a new single with little warning — and this time it comes accompanied by news of an upcoming fulllength album.
Titled “False Prophet,” the song — a fuzzy barroom stomp that appeared Thursday night on streaming services — heralds the June 19 release of “Rough and Rowdy Ways,” Dylan’s first album of original material since 2012’s “Tempest.”
“False Prophet” follows “I Contain Multitudes,” a Walt Whitman- inspired ballad that came out April 17, and late March’s “Murder Most Foul,” a nearly17-minute meditation on the assassination of president John F. Kennedy. On Dylan’s website, “Rough and Rowdy Ways” —the singer’s 39th studio album —is listed for preorder as a two-LP and two-CD set —a concession to the length of several of the album’s 10 tracks, as listed on Apple Music. Los Angeles Times