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Grady Nicholson
| Grady Nicholson | |
| Born | Grady S. Nicholson July 5, 1901 Terrell, Texas |
|---|---|
| Died | September 22, 1945 (age 44) Los Angeles, California |
Grady Nicholson (1901-1945), who billed himself as "The Jolly Joker", was a part-time professional, club and full evening show magician and ventriloquist.
Biography
At the age of four years he was moved to Ardmore, Oklahoma, then the Indian Territory. Grady became interested in magic as a young boy, but had to practice his magic in secret. His mother thought that tricks or anything that pertained to show business was evil. He learned some card tricks, but his mother found the cards and burned them.
His first full evening show was his High School in 1920, consisting of magic, ventriloquism and more magic.
He moved to Oklahoma City in 1929 and has specialized in club and convention shows.[1] At one time he performed for five thousand children at the Dallas, Texas State Fair.
He worked as a Credit Manager for the Sneed Furniture Company in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in the 1930s and later worked in Texas and California.[2]
Nicholson was a member of the Society of Osiris, SAM and IBM and contributed effects to the Sphinx, Linking Ring and Genii.
His original routines included such effects effects as his Floating Sledge Hammer, "Improved Broken and Restored Plate" and the production of many large glasses of beer from a pencil sketch of a beer barrel, which won for him many club and convention awards.
Nicholson was only 44 at the time of his death.[3] His apparatus was auctioned off at various meetings of IBM Ring No. 21 in Hollywood, California.
References