Roy Horn was the original king of tigers before Joe Exotic came along. The magician, famous for his performances with white tigers and lions, “died of complications from COVID-19” in a Las Vegas hospital on May 8, his publicist sadly revealed in a press release obtained by HollywoodLife. Roy passed away not long after news of his positive coronavirus test was announced on April 28. He was 75 years old.
Roy’s longtime magician partner, Siegfried Fischbacher, was devastated over the news. “Today, the world has lost one of the greats of magic, but I have lost my best friend,” Roy’s partner said in the press release. “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. Roy was a fighter his whole life including during these final days. 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.” Now, learn more about Roy, who with Siegfried quickly became one of the most famous acts Sin City has ever seen.
1. Roy wowed the world with magic and white tigers as part of the German magician duo, Siegfried & Roy. The best friends and partners performed together for 50 years, after their fateful meeting on a cruise ship where Roy assisted in Siegfried’s magic show. The magicians’ gained international fame with their show at Las Vegas’ Mirage hotel-casino, which ran between 1990 to 2003. It became one of the Las Vegas Strip’s top acts, thanks to its inclusion of white tigers, white lions, leopards, jaguars, and an elephant.
2. Roy’s performing days came to an end after his infamous tiger attack. In a shocking moment that was documented in a viral video, a 400-pound tiger named Mantecore dragged Roy by the neck off the stage in front of a live audience in 2003. Roy suffered immense bleeding and a stroke, rendering him partially paralyzed. Not only was Siegfried & Roy’s Las Vegas show over thereafter, but Roy’s days as a performer as well. However, Roy has always insisted that he was already suffering a stroke before the attack, and Mantecore was simply trying to protect his longtime owner.
3. Roy officially retired from the show business in 2010. The tiger attack dramatically changed the course of Roy and Siegfried’s careers. They only returned to the stage for one other appearance in 2009, before officially throwing in the towel the following year.
4. The magician’s love for animals began at a young age. Roy has been around big cats his whole life! The magician, who was born in Germany in 1944, adopted a pet cheetah from the Bremen Zoo and also had a wolfdog named Hexe.
Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy passed away due to complications from #COVID19, publicist says.
He was 75. pic.twitter.com/DqVyK6O3JN
— Dan Linden (@DanLinden) May 9, 2020
5. Roy is survived by his brother and animals. In addition to his performing partner Siegfried, Roy has left behind his brother Werner Horn and his “animal family,” according to his publicist’s press release.