I for one am deeply saddened by his death; for me, he was perhaps the 'definitive' icon for the classic magician, and perhaps
the last of an era of superb Dutch magicians. One recalls the names of Fred Kaps and Richard Ross....and now we sadly
lose Tommy Wonder.
I recall seeing Tommy for the first time in 1979 at the one-off BMS convention; as well as the likes of Burger & Williamson,
came Tommy Wonder - a slight, intense gentleman, with captivating magic that pulled you in, then blew you away. I got fooled many,
many times after that - mostly whilst watching that damn cups & balls routine!
Luckily we have classic Books Of Wonder to remind us of his sheer brilliance, and total mastery of the art of 'attention direction'
I am very sure, like me, he will live on in the hearts of many magicians across the planet and I trust the world over will share our loss,
as well as celebrate the unique life of a real magical champion and a 'wonderful' guy.
- Grant Willcox |