Magician Roy Horn Of Siegfried & Roy Dies Of COVID-19 At Age 75

Roy Horn was diagnosed with COVID-19 in April

Roy Horn, half of the beloved Las Vegas duo, Siegfried & Roy, died of complications from the coronavirus on May 8 in a Las Vegas hospital. He was 75.

“Today, the world has lost one of the greats of magic, but I have lost my best friend,” Siegfried Fischbacher said in a 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 diagnosed with COVID-19 in April.

Fans took to Twitter to express their condolences for Horn:

Horn was born in Germany in 1944. He met Fischbacher on a cruise ship in 1957, and the pair never looked back. They performed animal-magic shows in small clubs in Germany and Switzerland in the mid-1960s, when a Monte Carlo casino agent saw one of their performances and invited them to Las Vegas. They made their debut at the Tropicana hotel-casino in the late 1960s and became one of the most famous and beloved acts in the history of The Strip.

“Roy was a fighter his whole life including during these final days,” Fischbacher said in the release. “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.”

Fischbacher and Horn were legends in Las Vegas, performing 5,000 shows over 13 years (six shows a week, 44 weeks per year), dazzling audiences with their animals and magic.

The pair also saved rare white tigers and white lions from extinction, starting with a preservation program they began in the 1980s, AP News reported. Their $10 million compound in Las Vegas was home to dozens of rare animals over the years, and they highlighted the need for their protection during their shows.

Horn was injured during one of their performances in October 2003 when a tiger named Montecore attacked him on stage at the Mirage. He suffered severe neck injuries and later suffered a stroke as a result of the attack. He underwent lengthy rehabilitation with Fischbacher always by his side. Though that 2003 attack ended their Vegas career, Horn and Fischbacher returned to the stage one more time in 2010 for a comeback performance to raise funds for a new rehabilitation center.

Horn will always be remembered for his love of animals and his dedication towards preservation.

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