Siegfried Fischbacher passed away Wednesday from pancreatic cancer. He was 81 years old.
Siegfried died eight months after his partner, Roy Horn, died from COVID-19. Siegfried and Roy gained top billing in Las Vegas and elsewhere for their work.
The collaboration began in the 1950s when Roy, a magician, met Siegfried on a cruise ship where Roy was working. Siegfried joined the act and the two gained acclaim for their work with animals, most notably with tigers and other big cats.
In 2004, their act made news because of a mishap. In 2003 during a live show at The Mirage in Las Vegas (Roy’s birthday), Roy put a microphone to a tiger’s mouth and the animal was supposed to respond with a ‘hello.’ Instead, the tiger named Montecore responded by biting off his sleeve. Roy tried to calm down the tiger, but couldn’t. Montecore dragged Roy offstage and inflicted severe injuries. Roy was lucky to survive the attack, and he decided to never perform again.
The names ‘Siegfried and Roy’ are etched in history.
RIP Roy Horn and, now, Siegfried Fischbacher.
