Doug Henning
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Doug Henning (May 3, 1947–February 7, 2000) born in Winnipeg, Canada. A master magician, illusionist, and escape artist, he is credited with reviving the magic show as a form of mass entertainment in North America, beginning in the 1970s. Henning changed the image of the stage magician when he rejected such stereotypical costume accessories as the tuxedo, top hat, thin moustache, goatee and short hair. He opted instead for long hair, a bushy moustache, and bright multicoloured casual clothes, which gave him a distinctively flamboyant image.
Henning performed his first show at the age of 14 at the birthday party of a friend. He was inspired by his audience's spellbound reaction. Within a few months of placing an ad in a local newspaper, he launched a series of performances on local television in Toronto, and as an entertainer at parties.
After graduating from McMaster University with studies in psychology and perception, Henning turned his full attention to magic. Henning began working as a full-time magician after being awarded a Canadian Council Grant. The terms of the grant required Henning to study magic. He did so, travelling to view firsthand the talents of magic greats like Slydini and Dai Vernon.
With the intention of returning magic to its "glory days", Henning worked to perfect his craft. Garnering financial support, he developed a live theatrical show: "Spellbound," a musical that combined an intense storyline and Henning's magic tricks. The show hit the stage in Toronto and broke box office ticket records in that city. Henning reworked his show after catching the attention of New York producers, and took it to Broadway under a new title: "The Magic Show". Debuting in 1974, the show ran for 4-1/2 years earning Henning a Tony Award nomination.
Following his Broadway success, Henning was approached by NBC to produce a television special. He spent the next eight months reworking his act for television. Debuting in December 1975, "Doug Henning's World of Magic" captured the attention of more than 50-million viewers. For the following seven years, Doug Henning continued his once-a-year broadcasts, ultimately earning seven Emmy nominations.
Henning relocated to Los Angeles in 1976, and created his own production company. He would later create stage effects for music videos and concerts performed by musicians such as Earth, Wind and Fire and Michael Jackson.
In December of 1981, Henning married Debby Douillard in Fairfield, Iowa. A talented artist herself, Douillard would spend much of her married life accompanying her husband on tour, co-starring on stage, and helping to design sets and costumes.
Later, he abandoned his performance art in favour of studying transcendental meditation which, he claimed, enabled him to levitate. He also ran in the 1993 Canadian election as a candidate for the Natural Law Party of Canada, which proposed yogic flying as a solution to the problems of the nation. (As the party's most famous candidate, he was so prominently featured in their television ads that many voters mistakenly thought he was the party's leader. The party was in fact led by Dr. Neil Paterson.)
Henning died in 2000 of liver cancer at the age of 52.