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Jay Marshall
| Jay Marshall | |
 Cover of Genii (1960) | |
| Born | James Ward Marshall August 29, 1919 Abington, Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| Died | May 10, 2005 (age 85) |
| Resting place | Plot 69, Woodlawn Cemetery & Chapel, 7750 West Cermak Road Forest Park, IL |
| Categories | Books by Jay Marshall |
Jay Marshall (August 29, 1919 – May 10, 2005) was a famous magician and ventriloquist born in Abington, Massachusetts.
Biography
Over a 60 year career he appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show 14 times together with his hand puppet "Lefty". He also was the opening act for performers like Frank Sinatra, Milton Berle and Liberace. In fact, he was the first act to open for Sinatra in Las Vegas. He was also the dean of the Society of American Magicians.
According to the Chicago Tribune, his interest in magic started when he was six. Marshall failed to graduate from Bluefield College in West Virginia and went on to be a professional magician instead.
During World War II, Marshall was "island hopping" in the Pacific to entertain military personnel in USO shows. He became tired of taking his elaborate ventriloquist's dummy called Henry with him, so he decided to use a white glove and some bunny ears to turn his left hand into his dummy, "Lefty".
In the 1950s, Marshall moved to Chicago and married fellow magician Frances Ireland. Together they opened a magic shop in 1963 called Magic, Inc. on Lincoln Avenue on Chicago's North Side. Marshall was also a historian of stage magic and wrote several books about it. However, his own acts focused more on card magic and sleight of hand which he often combined with ventriloquism. One of his creations was the Jaspernese Thumb Tie.
For five years in the 1950's, he edited New Phoenix.
He died at the Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chicago after a series of heart attacks.[1][2]
Awards and honors
- Masters Fellowship from Academy of Magical Arts (1982)
Books
- TV, Magic and You (1955)
References
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