How do people define the word magic? Is it a lie that you are forced to believe because you can see it and witness its creation with your own bare eyes? Is it the crosswords game we can never solve? So many questions are swirling inside our minds regarding magic and its true import and definition. However, that is the basis of its appeal; its peerless manner to grab our attention and tie our reflection to it. SO, here are ten of the most renowned magicians with jaw-dropping tricks and styles that have made us believe in what we also believe to be a trick or a plain lie.
10 Ricky Jay
Richard Jay Potash, an American professional magician, is widely known as Ricky Jay. Jay first brought down the house in public at the tender age of four when he did his magic tricks on the television program “Time For Pets”. He probably caught all the attentions since he was the youngest magician to pull a magic show on TV, the first magician to perform in comedy clubs, and the first to establish a rock and roll band as well.
Mark Singer wrote in the New Yorker that Jay “perhaps the most gifted sleight of hand artist alive”. Not only is Jay publicized for the sleight of hand, but also he is well-received for his card tricks, card throwing, memory feats, and stage patter. Moreover, he has authored books about magic and its origins. He has landed roles in few movies such as The Prestige, The Spanish Prisoner, Mystery Men, Heist, Boogie Nights, Tomorrow Never Dies, House of Games and Magnolia, alongside the HBO series Deadwood.
Jeff McBride is another renowned American magician, who was born in Rock Hill, New York. He rose to fame after he had his sleight of hand skills manipulation of playing cards and coins at their peak. He came under the influence of Japanese culture as he put kabuki, Japanese art form of theater, into his performance. McBride established the McBride Magic & Mystery School, whose dean is Eugene Burger, to spread the art of stage magic. He pulled off several performances at the World Magic Festival at Brushwood Folklore Center in Sherman, New York in 1993 and 1994. He tickled spectators pink in his magic shows, moreover, he authored books and released videos on the subjects of the coin and card manipulation.
Lance Burton is an American stage magician, who pulled around 15,000 shows in Las Vegas before more than 5,000,000 spectators before he willingly puts an end to his career at the age of 31. Burton first showed sparks of interest in magic at the tender age of 5. He first performed on a magic show of Magician Harry Collins during a Christmas party at the Frito-Lay plant, which is his mother’s workplace. Young Burton received praise and applaud from the amazed spectators, which prompted a neighbor of his to give him a book, Magic Made Easy. It included ten tricks, which Burton learned. The first performances he pulled were for his neighborhood children for a nickel. In 1977, as a teenager, Burton took part in his first magic competition and won the first prize. In 1980, at the age of 20, he earned a “Gold Medal of Excellence” from the International Brotherhood of Magicians.
7 Herbert L. Becker
Herbert Lawrence Becker is a magician who has put an end to his career in 1978. He designed a computer program in 2000, and commented on the process, saying “broadcasting analog signals over the internet in real time”. He, moreover, wrote books and was an actor and the creator/director of the Masked Magician TV specials for Fox TV. He collaborated with Marc Nicols under the name “The Kardeen Brothers” and performed by himself as “The Great Kardeen”. Furthermore, He contributed in opening the first Guinness Museums, embarked on a tour Guinness on Parade and put on a performance in the Steel Pier and Radio City Music Hall with the Guinness show in 1976.
Harry Houdini was a renowned illusionist and stunt performer, who was born as Erik Weisz on March 24, 1874. He had Hungarian origins, then he officially became an American citizen. He was first brought to notice in vaudeville in the US and in Europe, where he called police forces out to keep him detained. However, he got ahead when he dared to be chained and tied in ropes slung from skyscrapers. Surprisingly, he attempted to break away from handcuffs and was buried alive then he broke through and made it to the surface.
David Blaine is an American magician and illusionist. He became world-famous due to the fact that he has broken world records. Blaine took the way magic is presented in the media to a whole new level; he took his spectators’ responses in consideration; entertaining them was his main purpose. At first, the camera would focus on the artist or magician while he is in the middle of his performance; however, he altered the idea so the camera would focus on the spectators and their priceless reactions that showed how they were tickled pink and left amazed by the performance. In 1997, the New York Times wrote that “he’s taken a craft that’s been around for hundreds of years and done something unique and fresh with it”. Likewise, the New York Daily News wrote, “Blaine can lay claim to his own brand of wizardry. The magic he offers operates on an uncommonly personal level”.
4 Penn & Teller
Penn & Teller are American magicians and entertainers who have collaborated in too many shows and performances since the late 1970s. Their style is unique; they combine magic and comedy, and they have been garnering spectators ever since; Teller says, “Every time you perform a magic trick, you’re engaging in experimental psychology. If the audience asks, ‘How the hell did he do that?’ then the experiment was successful”. The pair has hit the stage and has hosted several television shows such as Penn & Teller: Fool Us, and are painting the town red and performing in Las Vegas at The Rio. They are famous for their extraordinary talents and abilities; however, they use their fame to promote some of the ideas in which they firmly believe; the two have used their voices to advocate atheism, scientific skepticism, and libertarianism, Like Teller says.
Christopher Nicholas Sarantakos, also known as Criss Angel, is an American magician and illusionist. The 49-year-old magician, Angel embarked on his career in New York City, then he moved to the Las Vegas Valley. He had his own television and stage show Criss Angel Mindfreak. He also had television series called Criss Angel BeLIEve on Spike TV, the reality-competition television show Phenomenon on NBC and the 2014 stage show Criss Angel Magicjam. Besides Magic, Angel was the lead vocalist for his band Angeldust, which had five albums between 1998 and 2003. Moreover, he wrote the book Mindfreak: Secret Revelations. The man is multi-talented.
David Seth Kotkin, also known as David Copperfield, is said to be the most commercially successful magician in history, according to Forbes. Out of 38 Emmy nominations, Copperfield’s television shows have earned shows 21 Emmy Awards. Copperfield’s style is rather mind-blowing and unrivaled as he combined storytelling and illusion. Surprisingly, his unique way has made him be on top for around 40 years, earning 11 Guinness World Records, and made him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Copperfield also has received a knighthood by the French government. He also has been called a Living Legend by the US Library of Congress.
1 Dynamo
Born as Steven Frayne, professionally and globally known as “Dynamo“, is this exceptional English magician. Dynamo is famous for a ton load of shows and awards, most importantly his TV show Dynamo: Magician Impossible which was aired from July 2011 to September 2014. The magicians’ society The Magic Circle reportedly called attention to the 34-year-old magician in July 2012. Apparently, 2012 was Dynamo’s year of luck as his show Dynamo: Magician Impossible was awarded the Best Entertainment Programme award at the Broadcast Awards. Moreover, the second season of Dynamo: Magician Impossible won the Broadcast Award for Best Entertainment Programme two times in a row and came in first at the Virgin Media Awards and was pronounced the TV show of the year. Furthermore, Dynamo came in first at The Academy of Magical Arts 48th Annual Awards Show and walked off with he Magician of the Year award.
What do you think of magic? and who is your favorite renowned magician? Tell us in the comment section down below.