Magician Roy Horn of legendary Siegfried & Roy duo dies at age 75 from coronavirus

Magician Roy Horn of the famous Siegfried & Roy duo has died at the age of 75 from complications caused by the coronavirus.

Siegfried and Roy by Carol M Highsmith (Image: Internet/Archives)

Washington DC, May 9 (ANI): Magician Roy Horn of the famous Siegfried & Roy duo has died at the age of 75 from complications caused by the coronavirus.

According to a statement obtained by the media from Siegfried Fischbacher, "Today, the world has lost one of the greats of magic, but I have lost my best friend. From the moment we met, I knew Roy and I, together, would change the world. There could be no Siegfried without Roy, and no Roy without Siegfried."

Fischbacher's statement continued, "Roy was a fighter his whole life including during these final days. I give my heartfelt appreciation to the team of doctors, nurses and staff at Mountain View Hospital who worked heroically against this insidious virus that ultimately took Roy's life."

Siegfried and Roy entertained the masses for over forty years, by making big cats disappear like magic.

Roy's career as a magician, unfortunately, came to an end when a 7-year-old white tiger named Mantacore attacked him during one of their shows at the Mirage in 2003. He escaped the incident with critical injuries to his spine and severe blood loss.

Roy was eventually able to walk and talk with some assistance, despite the severity of the attack. Though their show at the Mirage was cancelled and the staff laid-off, Siegfried and Roy continued to work with big cats as they had for much of their life.

They officially retired from the business in 2010, four years before Mantacore, the same cat that attacked Roy, died at the age of 17.

A rep for the couple said at the time that Mantacore was living in the Siegfried & Roy Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage hotel, something that Roy ensured as he never placed fault on the animal.

"I will forever believe it was his concern for my safety and well-being that caused him to act as he did on that night long ago. We spent many hours together and he never failed to bring me great joy and wonderment. It was my great honour to be beside him at the end," Roy shared.