Siegfried Fischbacher Of Magic Duo Siegfried & Roy Dies Aged 81

Entertainer Siegfried Fischbacher, who made up one half of the iconic magic duo Siegfried and Roy, has died at the age of 81.

Fischbacher’s sister Dolore confirmed the news, stating that he died at his Las Vegas home after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis.

His death comes less than one year after his magic partner, Roy Horn, died at the age of 75 after contracting coronavirus.

Speaking with German news agency dpa, Dolore said she was able to speak with her brother on the phone before he passed away, and revealed that they had prayed together during the call:

I could pray with him and tell him that I will always be with him in my heart.

After the conversation with his sister, who lives as a nun in Munich, Fischbacher reportedly laid down and fell asleep.

Siegfried and Roy began working together while they were still teenagers, ending up as headliners at their very own 1,500-seat theater at Las Vegas’ Mirage hotel, The Washington Post reports.

Ranking among the most successful Las Vegas entertainment acts of all time, the illusionist duo became well known for their distinctive glittering costumes and acts involving tigers, lions and other animals.

Siegfried and Roy were known to be inseparable, with their career spanning over 40 years. Unfortunately, their act came to a shocking end on October 3, 2003, after a 400-pound white tiger clamped its jaws around Horn’s neck and pulled him from the stage at MGM’s Mirage hotel and casino.

Horn nearly died of blood loss and suffered a stroke. Sadly, he never fully recovered from the terrifying ordeal, and the pair had no choice but to call time on their beloved act.

Siegfried and Roy made their final appearance with a tiger in February 2009, as part of a benefit performance for Las Vegas Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, The New York Times reports. They announced their official retirement in 2010.

In the aftermath of Horn’s death in May last year, Fischbacher said about the loss of his ‘best friend’:

Today, the world has lost one of the greats of magic, but I have lost my best friend. 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.

Our thoughts are with the loved ones of Siegfried Fischbacher at this difficult time.

If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]