Lee Henneberry who is arguably America's most successful family entertainer/magician died on Aug. 3 at the age of 72. A Journal Star article reported, "For more than 50 years, Lee Henneberry and his wife, Rita, traveled the globe, performing magic, music, juggling, comedy and unicycling. And for more than a decade before Henneberry's birth, his relatives had toured the Midwest with a wagon train magic show." The Henneberry's were a family show, which featured their entire family. In the 1970s they traveled with their six children as "The Family on Wheels." Although not known to most magicians, he was a very kind man who attended many magic conventions when not on tour. Visitations are on Monday Aug. 6 from 5-9pm at J.J. Moran & Sons Funeral Home in Decatur and the Mass of Christian Burial on Tuesday Aug. 7 at 11am at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Decatur, IL. To read the Aug. 5 obituary by Bob Morrow titled "'Family on Wheels' patriarch dies at 72" click: HERE.(8/6)

A Houdini tribute to be presented by the Pyrotechnics Guild International during a festival in Appleton, WI. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that "An hour-long opening show, scheduled to begin at 9:45 p.m., will feature about $100,000 worth of 300-foot-long firecrackers to be lighted in unison after a tribute to the famous illusionist and Appleton native. To read the Aug. 3 article titled "Festival to pay tribute to Houdini" click: HERE.(8/6)

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The big award winners at the Abbott's 64th annual Get-Together are: Ali Bongo won Crandall Comedy Award, The Beckers received the Jack Gwynn Magical Excellence Award, and Kenji Minemura walked away with the Bill Baird-Neil Foster award for manipulation. The stage competition winners were: Sean Scott (first place), Zubrick Magic (second place), Julie Sobanski (third place). The Junior contest winners were Jessica Reed (First), Zasha Jaye (second) and Dakota Rose (third).(8/7)

"Carter Beats the Devil" is a new book by Glen David Gold, which revolves around magician Charles Carter who is suspected of killing President Warren G. Harding. The story is full of magic references and is called by The Daily Telegraph as "…such an exciting fiction that you are happy to let him twist the facts to fit. His characters are wonderfully eccentric - heroes, heroines and villains of gloriously Collinsian dimensions - and despite the high dramatic stakes, they never lose their credibility or sense of humour. This is a daredevil feat of writing that will remind you how much fun reading can be." To read the Aug. 6 book review by Helen Brown titled "Wonders that never cease" click: HERE.(8/7)
--To pre-order the book for only $17.46 click: HERE.
--To buy from AmazonUK for £11.99 click: HERE.

Abbott's Magic Get-Together in a Sturgis Journal story, which describes the performers on the Wednesday evening show. To read the Aug. 6 story by Racheal Sylvester titled "Sleepy Colon wakes up for a week of trickery" click: HERE.(8/7)

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"Mindgames Too" is the title of Marc Salem's new show which is scheduled to run Off-Broadway on Nov. 19 through Jan. 13, 2002 at the Duke Theatre (229 West 42nd Street) in New York City. The 199-seat remodeled theater is part of the 42nd Street redevelopment and is also the new home of the Jewish Repertory theatre company.(8/8)

Jeff Martin who is performing at the Western Montana Fair is featured in a Missoulian story which quotes him about audience volunteers, "[sometimes] …you get somebody who is a real ham. It's great because everyone is able to enjoy it that much more." Martin credits Chuck Jones for getting him hooked on magic 34 years ago. To read the Aug. 7 story by Donna Syvertson titled "Say yes to magic" click: HERE.(8/8)

FLORIDA: Summer Splash Bash 2001 featuring Rex Todd Alexandre, Sue Jacoberger, Don Arthur, Lyndel, Art Thomas, and Jim Greene is sponsored by The Wizards Of Winter Haven and takes place on Saturday Aug. 11 at 9am-8pm at the Chain Of Lakes Civic Center (Hwy. 17 and State Road 540) in Winter Haven. Admission is $15 per person. For more information click: HERE.(8/8)

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Paul Daniels is interviewed in Studybees where he is called "a national institution." Daniels gives his views on many subjects such as politics, religion, the Internet, his career, and magicians. On the state of magic he said, "It's good that magic is being perceived as for adults again. There's so few forms of entertainment that you can do for children but magic is one of them – and done well it intermeshes music, theatre, the speciality acts of variety...the magician is an actor and he uses all these elements. Sadly this suitability for children means magic is so often seen as only an entertainment for children." Daniels is described as "a consummate entertainer offstage as well as on. Relentless, in fact. Anecdote after anecdote, pun after pun, more self-aggrandisement than Chris Eubank on his birthday. 'An audience - I'm away!'" To read the Aug. 1 interview by Golly Blenkinsop click: HERE.(8/9)

Lee Henneberry who passed away last week in honored by his friends. A Journal Star article pointed out, "Lee Henneberry had a message from a fortune cookie in his pocket the day he died. 'You are about to embark on a most delightful journey,' read the tiny green letters above a series of lucky numbers." Magicians mentioned in the article are Andy Dallas, Grant Golden and Dan Barth. To read the Aug. 8 story  by Tammy Johnson titled "Magician embarks on 'delightful journey'" click: HERE.(8/9)

Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee's new Heineken TV commercial where Paul does a Karaoke rendition of "Close to You" is discussed in The Mirror. The punch-line to the irritating commercial is that Heineken threatens to keep running the commercial if viewers didn't buy their beer. To read the Aug. 8 article titled "Beer And Loathing" click: HERE.(8/9)

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Michael Shermer gives a crash course in cold reading in the August issue of Scientific American. The structure, strategies and presentations used by psychics to speak to the dead are revealed in detail. The purpose of this exposure is to protect the public from falling for people who claim to communicate with the dead. The article specifically targets John Edward and his popular TV show Crossing Over. Cold reading, warm reading and hot reading are the three strategies Sherman expounds on to explain how the process works. He concludes, "Pretending that the dead are gathering in a television studio in New York to talk twaddle with a former ballroom-dance instructor is an insult to the intelligence and humanity of the living." To read the August issue story by Michael Shermer titled "Deconstructing the Dead" click: HERE.(8/10)

Ezra Duetsch-Feldman who received a scholarship to Tannen’s Magic Camp from The Society of American Magicians is featured in a Washington Post story. The 13-year old comments about magic, "It’s a lot of fun… You hold a strange power over everyone else because you know things they don't know." To read the Aug. 9 story by Irene Noguchi titled "It's In the Cards" click: HERE.(8/10)

George N. Graham who was the co-owner of the Four Jokers Magic Shop in Tonawanda, NY died on Jun. 29 at the age of 64. To read the Aug. 7 obituary by Louise Continelli titled "George N. Graham, Teacher, Magician" supplied by YellowBrix and Infoseek click: HERE.(8/10)

Steve Rudolph presents his Magic & More show on Friday at the Old Town Hall as part of the Somerset Public Library's summer reading program in Rhode Island. To read the Aug. 8 Providence Journal article titled "Somerset Digest" supplied by YellowBrix and Infoseek click: HERE.(8/10)

INDIANA/ILLINOIS: Carl Andrews will be lecturing in Evansville on Aug. 13 and in Chicago on Aug. 24-25. For more information e-mail him at: carl@maui.net.(8/10)

PRESS RELEASE: RICH MAROTTA BOOKING WEST COAST LECTURE TOUR.

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Marc Salem is featured in The Scotsman where had to explain, "I'm not a mystic and I don't do psychic… I work with minds." He also spoke about what he expects to accomplish with his mentalism, "With my show, I don't care if you're a skeptic or not. I'm in the theatre, I'm selling tickets. This is not about enlightenment, it's about entertainment. My purpose here is to engage you, enchant you, open your mind and, by the end of the evening, for you to be changed and entertained." Mind Games is described as, "…the surprise hit of the Festival." To read the Aug. 10 story titled "Look into my eyes" supplied by YellowBrix and Infoseek click: HERE.(8/11)

Cute little children's story in the Los Angeles Times revolves around "Marvelous Marvin--Master Magician." To read the Aug. 9 story by Cherie Troped titled "Seeing Is Believing" click: HERE.(8/11)

Looks like magicians Lou "Typhoon Lou" Marin and Mark O’Brien are involved in an ugly battle. To read the Aug. 10 story by Susan Clary titled "Results of fire inquiry prove less than magical for illusionist" click: HERE.(8/11)

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The Fun 'N Magic Shop in San Antonio, TX will close after staying in business for more than 50 years. The San Antonio Express-News reported that the shop was, "Started by Louis Berkie, the self-made "king of the wooden nickel," the store has switched locations about five times and has been known by about as many names." Berkie died in 1997 and the shop which has been run by his widow and son will close at the end of August. To read the Aug. 11 story by Jeff Lehr titled " Famous magic shop to vanish" click: HERE.(8/12)

Carl Wiesinger from Buffalo, NY died on Aug. 6 at the age of 83. A Buffalo News story quoted Michael Hilburger, "Wiesinger was a regular performer at the once-famous Magic Bar in the Forks Hotel in Cheektowaga. He said Wiesinger performed from 1972 to 1991 at the club, which is no longer in existence." To read the Aug. 9 obituary by Hudkins titled "Carl Wiesinger, Magician Known For Floating Wand Routine, Dies" supplied by YellowBrix and Infoseek click: HERE.(8/12)

NEW JERSEY: Bruce Bernstein lectures on Wednesday Aug. 15 at 8pm for JMMRT at the V.F.W. (Pennsylvania Railroad Ave., two blocks from the NJ Transit -- Linden train station) in Linden, New Jersey. Cost to non-members is $12. For more information phone Carl Bajor at: 732-969-2566 or click: HERE.(8/12)

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