Siegfried Fischbacher

BORN JUNE 13, 1939 – DIED JANUARY 13, 2021, AGED 81

GERMAN-born Siegfried Fischbacher was half of the magic act Siegfried & Roy, famed for its flamboyant Las Vegas performances with lions and tigers in the 1990s.

He was hooked on magic after buying a book as a boy.

He met Roy Horn on a luxury cruise ship as he practised illusionist tricks between his duties as a steward. They were fired for bringing a cheetah on board.

They toured the world with their shows and quit after Horn was seriously attacked by a white tiger in 2003.

Fischbacher died of pancreatic cancer eight months after Horn’s death from Covid-19.