Siegfried Fischbacher Biography

Quick Facts

NAME: Siegfried Fischbacher
OCCUPATION: Theater Actor, Entrepreneur, Magician
BIRTH DATE: June 13, 1939 (Age: 74)
PLACE OF BIRTH: Rosenheim, Germany
ZODIAC SIGN: Gemini

Best Known For

Retired magician Siegfried Fischbacher was one-half of the performing duo Siegfried and Roy.

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Siegfried Fischbacher

APA Style

Siegfried Fischbacher. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 08:48, Jun 19, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/siegfried-fischbacher-10674314.

Harvard Style

Siegfried Fischbacher. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/siegfried-fischbacher-10674314 [Accessed 19 Jun 2013].

MLA Style

"Siegfried Fischbacher." 2013. The Biography Channel website. Jun 19 2013, 08:48 http://www.biography.com/people/siegfried-fischbacher-10674314.

MHRA Style

"Siegfried Fischbacher," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/siegfried-fischbacher-10674314 [accessed Jun 19, 2013].

Chicago Style

"Siegfried Fischbacher," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/siegfried-fischbacher-10674314 (accessed Jun 19, 2013).

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Siegfried Fischbacher [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 Jun 19] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/siegfried-fischbacher-10674314.

Bluebook Style

Siegfried Fischbacher, http://www.biography.com/people/siegfried-fischbacher-10674314 (last visited Jun 19, 2013).

AMA Style

Siegfried Fischbacher. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/siegfried-fischbacher-10674314. Accessed Jun 19, 2013.

Synopsis

Siegfried Fischbacher was born on June 13, 1939, in Rosenheim, Germany. In 1957, while working as a steward on an ocean liner, Fischbacher met Roy Horn. The pair put together a magic act and eventually made it to Las Vegas, where they performed for more than 30 years. In October 2003, one of the show's tigers attacked Horn during a performance,

leaving him in critical condition. Siegfried and Roy officially retired from show business after a final performance in 2010.

Meeting Roy Horn

Magician and stage performer Siegfried Fischbacher was born on June 13, 1939, in Rosenheim, Germany. From a young age, Fischbacher was drawn to the world of magic, and would spend hours practicing tricks out of a book for his family.

In 1957, while working as a steward on an ocean liner, Fischbacher met Roy Horn, who became his assistant for an impromptu magic show. Soon, the pair were collaborating, upping the ante from making a rabbit disappear to vanishing a cheetah. For the next five years, they performed throughout Europe, playing for little money. They eventually received their big break while performing at a casino in Monte Carlo, where a scout spotted them and invited them to do their act in Las Vegas.

Siegfried and Roy in Las Vegas

Siegfried and Roy have been combining magic tricks with tiger stunts in Las Vegas for more than 30 years, at first with shared billing and eventually as their own show. In addition to their hugely popular performances, they are active preservationists of white tigers and white lions. The duo has created a special compound outside of Las Vegas for the birthing, care and conservation of these rare animals.

Tiger Attack and Retirement

In October 2003, the show was brought to its knees when a white tiger attacked Horn during a performance, leaving the trainer in critical condition. Horn insisted that the tiger was not at a fault, and the show was closed down indefinitely following the incident.