Siegfried Fischbacher death: Siegfried and Roy star dies aged 81

Magician and entertainer’s death comes less than a year after death of partner Roy Horn

Illusionist Siegfried Fischbacher, who has died at 81 (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

The magician and entertainer Siegfried Fischbacher, of the duo Siegfried and Roy, has died at the age of 81.

Reports emerged in January that Fischbacher had been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, and his sister Dolore has now confirmed his death to the Press Association.

“He was at home in Las Vegas,” Dolore told the German news agency DPA. She said she talked to her brother on the phone before he died and they prayed together.

“I could pray with him and tell him that I will always be with him in my heart,” she said.

Fischbacher’s death comes less than a year after the death of Roy Horn, his partner in illusions. Horn died of complications from Covid-19 in May 2020.

At the time, Fischbacher said “the world has lost one of the greats of magic, but I have lost my best friend”.

German-born Fischbacher and Horn immigrated to the USA in 1967, having already made their name on the European nightclub circuit. Their shows were famously flamboyant, with the pair performing illusions, as well as tricks with a variety of exotic animals, including lions and tigers.

The pair retired from live performance in 2010, seven years after an incident in which Horn was mauled on stage by one of their tigers.

Both men were romantically involved during periods of their career, though often preferred to keep the status of their relationship private.