Johnny Fox (performer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Johnny Fox
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Fox performing as a sword swallower at the Maryland Renaissance Festival in 2007
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John Robert Fox
November 13, 1953 |
| Died | December 17, 2017 (aged 64) |
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John Robert Fox (born November 13, 1953 – died December 17, 2017) was a famous American performer. He was best known as a professional sword swallower and a skilled sleight of hand expert. He amazed audiences with his unique acts for many years.
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Early Life and Inspiration
Johnny Fox was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He grew up in Hartford, Connecticut. When he was about eight or nine years old, he saw a sword swallower at the Eastern States Exposition. This show really impressed him.
Around the same time, his father gave him a book about the famous magician Harry Houdini. This book inspired young Johnny. He even tried to copy one of Houdini's tricks. He used spaghetti instead of a key on a string. He would swallow it and then bring it back up, just like Houdini.
Amazing Performance Career
Johnny Fox started his career performing magic and comedy. He worked as a waiter in Saint Petersburg, Florida. In the 1970s, he learned special sleight of hand tricks. He learned them from Tony Slydini, a magician known as "the Master of Misdirection."
When he was in his early twenties, Johnny Fox was performing in Boulder, Colorado. He heard that another magician had copied his act. This made him want to do something truly unique. He decided to learn how to swallow swords. He thought this would be "an act people couldn't copy easily." It took him eight months to learn this difficult skill. He even got hurt several times while practicing. By 1999, Fox believed he was one of only about twenty professional sword swallowers in the United States.
His Incredible Acts
Johnny Fox could swallow up to 22 inches of steel. His performances included swallowing regular swords. But he also swallowed other unusual items. These included a retractable tape measure, a giant screwdriver, and even a neon glowing sword plugged into an outlet. He used to eat fire too. However, he stopped when he learned that the chemicals used could be harmful to his body.
Johnny Fox performed in many different places. He appeared at comedy clubs, casinos, and tattoo conventions. He also performed at special events, like an Aerosmith album release party. He was on TV shows like the Late Show with David Letterman. He also appeared in a 1992 Jonathan Winters TV special. He was even in a commercial for Maalox, where he swallowed light bulbs! In 2003, he was featured in a documentary called Traveling Sideshow: Shocked and Amazed.
Renaissance Festival Star
Johnny Fox was the main sword-swallower at the annual Maryland Renaissance Festival in Crownsville. He performed there every year from 1981 until 2017. Before the 2017 festival, the Royal Stage, where he performed, was renamed the Royal Fox Theatre in his honor. This showed how much he was loved and respected. He also started performing at the Sterling Renaissance Festival in Sterling, New York in 1997. Sometimes, he even helped other sideshow artists by giving them advice.
The Freakatorium Museum
In June 1999, Johnny Fox opened his own museum. It was called the Freakatorium, El Museo Loco. This museum was on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. It showed off many strange and interesting items from sideshows. Fox was partly inspired to open it because he loved visiting Hubert's Museum and Flea Circus when he was a child.
His collection included many unique things. He had narwhal tusks and an elephant's-foot liquor chest. There was also a two-headed turtle. He even owned a vest that belonged to General Tom Thumb and the glass eye of Sammy Davis, Jr. The museum closed in January 2005 because not enough people visited and the rent became too high.
Personal Life
Johnny Fox married his wife, Valeria, in 2002. Valeria was a dancer and photographer from Argentina. They got married in a very unique way: while riding on top of elephants in Annapolis, Maryland. They lived in Seymour, Connecticut.
Illness and Passing
In the fall of 2016, Johnny Fox became very sick. He was diagnosed with serious liver problems and tumors. In the winter of 2016, he slipped on black ice at his home. This accident, combined with his liver issues, caused him to fall into a coma for several days.
After waking up, he worked hard to recover. He got well enough to perform again at the Maryland Renaissance Festival in the fall of 2017. This was a wonderful return for his fans.
Sadly, Johnny Fox passed away on Sunday, December 17, 2017. He was 64 years old. His death was caused by liver cancer.
Images for kids
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Johnny Fox sword swallowing at the Maryland Renaissance Festival in 2006
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Johnny Fox performing cups and balls routine at the Maryland Renaissance Festival in 2016
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Johnny Fox sword swallowing at the Maryland Renaissance Festival in 2016, before his diagnosis
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Johnny Fox memorial at the Maryland Renaissance Festival in 2018
See also
In Spanish: Johnny Fox para niños
