Siegfried Fischbacher, of Siegfried and Roy, has died at 81

After a battle with pancreatic cancer, Siegfried Fischbacher has died at 81. Fischbacher was the surviving member of the illusionist duo Siegfried and Roy died at his home in Las Vegas.

His long-time partner, Roy Horn, passed away recently from complications of COVID-19 last May at age 75. In a statement after Horn’s death, Fischbacher said that he had lost his “best friend.” 

"From the moment we met, I knew Roy and I, together, would change the world,” wrote Fischbacher, “There could be no Siegfried without Roy, and no Roy without Siegfried."

The legendary entertainers were synonymous with the Las Vegas strip as they were a mainstay on the stage there for over 50 years, awing crowds with the white tiger-taming acts and magical illusions.

Fischbacher was born in Rosenheim, Germany, on June 13, 1939. He had a love for magic from a young age, beginning when he bought a magic book as a child. He met Roy Horn in 1957 on a cruise ship, and together, their extravagant show took their career to the next level, performing around the world on cruise ships and casinos.

The duo began performing in Las Vegas in 1967 and launched their show at The Mirage Resort and Casino in Las Vegas in 1990 that featured white tigers, white lions, leopards, jaguars and an elephant. Unfortunately, their Las Vegas show came to an abrupt ending after an onstage incident with a white Bengal tiger, Montecore, and Horn in 2003.

The duo returned for one last performance on March 1, 2009, which raised $14 million for the Cleveland Clinic's Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas. This performance, which included Montecore, became the subject of an episode of ABC’s 20/20.

Fans and friends online have already begun sharing their condolences.

According to a representative, there will be a private funeral service for Fischbacher and with plans for a public memorial in the future. 

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