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The True ‘Tiger King’ – Famed Magician Roy Horn Dies From COVID-19

L-R Roy Horn, Siegfried Fichbacher
Roy Uwe Ludwig Horn, whose collaboration with Siegfried Fischbacher created the world-renowned duo Siegfried & Roy, died of complications from COVID-19 today in a Las Vegas hospital. He was 75. Together, Siegfried & Roy redefined live magic by combining remarkable stagecraft with rare and endangered animals. In doing so, the duo created the modern era for Las Vegas entertainment. “Today, the world has lost one of the greats of magic, but I have lost my best friend,” said Siegfried. “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.” “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.” The duo never defined their relationship for the public but over time they became known as “former lovers and lifelong friends.” Born October 3, 1944 in Germany, Roy developed a connectivity to animals from an early age, beginning with his beloved wolfdog Hexe and his pet cheetah, Chico, which he adopted from the Bremen Zoo. While working as a steward on a cruise ship, Roy assisted in a performance of Siegfried’s magic act. After the show, Roy asked the question that changed both of their lives: “Siegfried, disappearing rabbits are ordinary, but can you make a cheetah disappear?” After a pause, Siegfried said, “In magic, anything is possible.” Unbeknownst to him – and the ship’s captain – Roy had smuggled his pet cheetah aboard the cruise. So began a 50-year entertainment odyssey that took Siegfried & Roy around the world, breaking box office records from Japan to Radio City Music Hall. But it was their four-decade-long run in Las Vegas that established them as global superstars. Siegfried & Roy started in 1967 as a featured act in notable Las Vegas revues “Follies Bergère,” “Hallelujah Hollywood” and “Lido de Paris.” They grew to headliners in “Beyond Belief” at the New Frontier in 1981.
(promotional photo)
But the duo became a Las Vegas “destination” of international renown with their precedent-setting, 14-year run at The Mirage that began in 1989. The $30-million production – unheard of at the time – sold out the then-largest theater in Las Vegas history nightly. The expectations for live entertainment, especially on all the stages of the Las Vegas Strip, were forever changed the moment the show opened. In their good vs. evil spectacle of lights, sound, and never-before-seen spectacular magic, the duo introduced the world to their extensive animal family – more than 55 white tigers, white lions, leopards, jaguars — even an elephant – that appeared and vanished with mesmerizing speed and panache. Siegfried & Roy at The Mirage became a must-see for all Las Vegas visitors and hundreds of notable personalities including Presidents, royalty, Hollywood and sports stars, and dignitaries from all walks of life. Their creative vision ultimately grew to include film, television and books, and Siegfried & Roy continue to share their magical world with millions of visitors at the Secret Garden of Siegfried & Roy at The Mirage. On October 3, 2003, Roy’s performance career ended when one of his white tigers, Mantecore, reacted to what Roy believed was a stroke and dragged him off the stage. Roy mystified all medical experts by surviving the incident, and its complications, to live a full and rewarding life after the show ended. He traveled the world, visited his animals daily and could be seen attending shows and philanthropic events in Las Vegas. From that night on, Roy referred to Mantecore as “my lifesaver.” “Roy’s whole life was about defying the odds,” added Siegfried. “He grew up with very little and became famous throughout the world for his showmanship, flair and his life-long commitment to animal conservation. He had a strength and will unlike anyone I have ever known.” Roy is survived by his brother Werner Horn, his animal family, and of course, Siegfried. (via press release)

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News Round-Up: May 8, 2020

(image by Tom of Finland)
Some news items you might have missed: • Gay Star News: Today marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Tom of Finland – the illustrator who defined an idealistic gay body for a generation of men. Check out GSN’s quick guide to Touko Valio Laaksonen – better known as Tom of Finland. • Human Rights Campaign: Helle Jae O’Regan, a 20-year-old transgender woman, was killed in San Antonio, Texas, on May 6. Her death is believed to be the at least 11th violent death of a transgender or gender non-conforming person this year in the U.S., and the sixth known violent death in just over five weeks. • Instinct: Ruh-roh – apparently guys can now access the gay dating app Grindr from their laptops. • KIT212: Check out Kenneth’s weekly round-up of the what’s what in gay publications across the country like Gloss Magazine’s ‘Social Distancing Issue’ below.
(image via GlossMagazine.net)
• San Diego Tribune: Souplantation, the popular buffet-style dining brand founded 42 years ago, is closing all 97 of its restaurants permanently, a casualty of the coronavirus pandemic that is likely to be the death knell for all self-serve eateries. The announcement was made by Garden Fresh Restaurants which owns both Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes. • CNBC: California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order on Friday allowing all registered voters in the state to receive a mail-in ballot this November. Newsom also clarified that California will still provide an opportunity for people to vote in person at a polling center. • Out Music: It’s a love song gone wrong for singer/songwriter and multi-talented artist Joshua Sade James and his new single, “All Fall Down.” The song’s bittersweet inspiration was related to a relationship and breakup he’d had while in college. “It allowed me to do a lot of self-reflection,” shares James. “I wrote the song after the second time we broke up, and just got to think about how truly toxic we were towards each other.” The award-winning artist adds, “It was interesting to shoot this video with a current love interest when it’s actually about a previous one.”

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My Favorite Thing Today: ‘The Great Realisation’

"The Great Realization" by Tomfoolery (Tomos Roberts)

Olivia Newton-John sent this to me and I found it to be uplifting and utterly enchanting. There’s a magical quality to this poem. Just a few lines:

But while we all were hidden amidst the fear and all the while The people dusted off their instincts – they remembered how to smile They started clapping to say thank you and calling up their mums And while the car keys gather dust they would look forward to their runs

The caption on the YouTube video reads, “A bedtime story of how it started, and why hindsight’s 2020.” You can find more from Probably TomFoolery on YouTube here.

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Unemployment Rate Soars To Record-Shattering 14.7 Percent

(image via MSNBC)
The U.S. economy lost a mind-blowing 20.5 million jobs in April, a number ten times the previous record and by far the highest seen since the Great Depression. From NBC News:

The unemployment rate soared to 14.7 percent, up from 4.4 percent in March after months at a half-century low, according to the monthly employment report, released Friday by the Department of Labor.

In just over a month, the coronavirus has wiped out all job gains since the Great Recession and brought the country’s decade-long record economic growth streak to an abrupt halt.

April’s staggering jobless total is more than 10 times that of the previous unemployment record of 1.96 million, set in September 1945, when American soldiers returned home after World War II. The new unemployment rate is the worst since the height of the Great Depression, when it hit 24.9 percent.

Applications for unemployment benefits last week totaled 3.17 million bringing the 7-week running tally to 33.5 million

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Another Study Shows Hydroxychloroquine Ineffective In Treating COVID-19

A new medical study published in the New England Journal of Medicine indicates that hydroxychloroquine, the malaria drug often touted by Donald Trump as a treatment for COVID-19, is not effective in treating patients with the disease. From CNBC:

The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health and conducted by researchers at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City, looked at 1,376 consecutive patients who showed up at the emergency room with symptoms of coronavirus.

Nearly 60%, or 811 of the patients, received the drug within 48 hours and were found, on average, to be more severely ill than those who didn’t receive the drug, the researchers said. They said the study’s findings didn’t find any potential benefit or harm from the drug, adding a rigorous, randomized clinical trial is needed.

The new findings come two weeks after the Food and Drug Administration warned consumers against chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid-19 outside a hospital or formal clinical trial setting.

Researchers in multiple studies looking at the drug have noted serious heart rhythm issues in those treated with the medication. Two weeks ago a study conducted at Veterans Administration hospitals found patients on the drug fared worse than those who received just standard care. And, a study in Brazil ended abruptly after COVID-19 patients being given chloroquine, a medication used to create hydroxychloroquine, developed unusual heart rhythms, which led to death in some patients. As I recently reported, Gilead Sciences’ experimental drug remdesivir seems to be the front-runner in terms of a drug that may actually help COVID-19 patients.

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Mike Pence’s Press Secretary Tests Positive For Coronavirus

Katie Miller, press secretary for Vice President Mike Pence (image via Twitter)
Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary, Katie Miller, has reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus. From CNN:

President Donald Trump confirmed Friday that Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary, Katie Miller, tested positive for the coronavirus.

Miller is now the second White House staff member known to have tested positive for the coronavirus this week, after one of Trump’s personal valets tested positive on Thursday.

“She’s a wonderful young woman, Katie, she tested very good for a long period of time and then all of a sudden today she tested positive,” Trump said during a meeting with Republican members of Congress at the White House.

The President said that Miller has not come into contact with him but noted that she has been in contact with Pence.

Miller was frequently in contact with members of the press, and the White House is now making more coronavirus testing available to journalists, a White House official told CNN’s Jim Acosta.

Katie Miller is married to Stephen Miller, a top domestic adviser to Trump who writes many of his speeches and is credited as one of the architects of the administration’s anti-immigrant policies. In the report by CNN’s Jim Acosta below, he notes that the White House press corps has not seen many staffers at the White House wearing face masks. As Acosta says, “It appears they haven’t gotten ‘the memo.'”

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Poll: Biden Leads Trump By 9 Points In Senate Battleground States

L-R Former Vice President Joe Biden, Donald Trump
A new poll of voters in six states where Republican senators up for reelection this year are facing some tough races shows former Vice President Joe Biden leading Donald Trump by 9 points. Hart Research Associates surveyed voters in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Maine, Montana, and North Carolina, and found support for Biden at 50% while Trump garnered 41% support. Of the six states, Trump scored 2016 wins in Arizona, Iowa, Montana and North Carolina. Democrats will need to win in four of those states to win a majority in the Senate. The poll showed the Republican incumbents lagging the Democratic challengers by five points – 41 to 46 respectively. The GOP incumbents are Sens. Marth McSally (Ariz.), Cory Gardner (Colo.), Joni Ernst (Iowa), Susan Collins (Maine), Steve Daines (Mont.) and Thom Tillis (N.C.). The poll also asked voters about their feelings on mail-in ballots this fall in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Voters in the six battleground states overwhelmingly support the idea with 85% saying a mail option should be available.

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Award-Winning 2015 Production of ‘The King And I’ Streaming Free Tonight

Lincoln Center Theatre will stream (for free!) it’s Tony Award-winning 2015 production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s THE KING AND I (2015) tonight, May 8, at 8PM ET on BroadwayHD. Directed by Bartlett Sher, starring Kelli O’Hara, Ken Watanabe, and Ruthie Ann Miles, the production was honored with 4 Tony Awards including Best Revival. If you can’t make it tonight, don’t worry – the show will be available to stream for free for 48 hours following the viewing party. If you like to do the Twitter participation thing, use the hashtag #RNHMovieNight to watch along with other Broadway fans. This screening is being presented in support of The Actors Fund, an organization near and dear to my heart 🙂 To donate, visit: ActorsFund.org/TheKingAndI

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News Round-Up: May 7, 2020

Fitness guru Craig Ramsay (via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunk: Fitness guru and Bravo star Craig Ramsay (above) is giving you serious legs in Palm Springs. He’s been promoting his fitness routines “Stretch – a reason to wine.” • OutRight Action International: The German Bundestag (Parliament) passed a bill today banning the harmful practice of “conversion therapy” on minors. With its passage, Germany joins Malta, Ecuador, Brazil, and Taiwan to become only the 5th country in the world to ban “conversion therapy.” • Military Times: The Defense Department has issued new guidance that says a past COVID-19 diagnosis is “permanently disqualifying” for those trying to join the U.S. military. • Pink News: Oscar winner Kevin Spacey has broken his silence for the first time since a rash of sexual assault allegations brought a halt to his acting career. Speaking via video as part of a three-day business conference he reportedly compared his “emotional struggles” after being accused are comparable to those of people affected by coronavirus. • New Music: Trans pop-star Kim Petras has released her brand new single “Malibu,” a glittering, summery pop-bop. “‘Malibu’ is a return to color, the feeling of being in love, and the escapism pop that I love the most,” says Kim.

• Towleroad: A gay couple in Tulsa is speaking out after a “Christian” neighbor put up horrific anti-LGBT signs, including a rainbow flag with a black “X” in his yard, directly across the street from their house. • Media Matters: Fox News has devoted seven and a half times as much coverage to Shelley Luther, a Dallas, Texas, salon owner, jailed for reopening her business in violation of the state’s stay-at-home order than the network has given to the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, a black man in Georgia who was out for a jog and was killed by two white men with ties to local law enforcement. • Vox: For folks who might be conflicted about Tara Reade’s allegations aimed at former Vice President Joe Biden, I encourage you to read this detailed account from a journalist who interviewed Reade several times. Reporter Laura McGann notes that as a supporter of the Me Too movement, she writes, “I wanted to believe Reade when she first came to me, and I worked hard to find the evidence to make certain others would believe her, too. I couldn’t find it.” • HuffPost: Donald Trump has regularly cast blame on those in the White House before him, saying falsely that he was left with “empty cupboards” when he replaced then-President Barack Obama. When asked by ABC News what HE had done to restock those cupboards over the past three years, Trump replied, “Well, uh, I have a lot of things going on.”

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Georgia Men (Finally) Arrested In Fatal Shooting Of Black Jogger

Ahmaud Arbery
From the Washington Post:

A Georgia father and son were arrested and charged with murder Thursday evening in the fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery amid intensifying pressure from across the political spectrum.

Footage of the young black man who was fatally shot by a white man in Georgia ignited outrage across the political spectrum, with former vice president Joe Biden comparing it to a lynching and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) calling the shooting “absolutely horrific.”

President Trump, speaking at an event in the Oval Office on Thursday, said he expects to get a “full report” on the incident and called the death “a very sad thing.”

Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, spoke passionately about the incident during a virtual campaign roundtable focused on African American issues Thursday, telling participants that watching 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery “shot down in cold blood” was like seeing him “lynched before our very eyes.”

Arbery was killed in February while jogging in a residential neighborhood in Brunswick, Ga. Video of his brief interaction with at least two men who confronted him, seconds before the gunshots, was released on social media this week.

Gregory McMichael, 64, a retired police detective, and his son, Travis McMichael, 34, saw Arbery jogging and told police they believed he looked like a suspect in a series of neighborhood burglaries (although local journalists found just one burglary reported to police between Jan. 1 and Feb. 23). The two men grabbed a handgun and shotgun and began chasing Arbery in a truck, according to a police report. Gregory McMichael said he shouted to Arbery, “Stop, stop, we want to talk to you,” before pulling up in their truck. Approaching him with their guns, a physical altercation ensued that left Arbery dead. You can see the video below as well as a Twitter thread from Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), the only black Republican in the Senate.