Lance Burton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lance Burton
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| Born |
William Lance Burton
March 10, 1960 Columbia, Kentucky, U.S.
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| Occupation | Magician |
| Years active | 1977–2010 |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Spouse(s) |
Melinda Saxe
(m. 1993; div. 1994) |
William Lance Burton, born on March 10, 1960, is a famous American stage magician. He amazed over 5 million people with more than 15,000 shows in Las Vegas before he retired in 2010. Today, he helps judge the show Criss Angel's Magic with the Stars.
Contents
Lance Burton's Magic Journey
Lance Burton first became interested in magic when he was just 5 years old. He volunteered at a magic show by Magician Harry Collins. Collins performed a trick called The Miser's Dream, where he seemed to pull silver coins from the air and even from Burton's ears!
Young Lance was fascinated. A neighbor heard about his interest and gave him a book called Magic Made Easy. This book had ten tricks, and Lance quickly learned all of them. He started performing for other kids in his neighborhood, charging them a nickel each.
Learning from the Best
Harry Collins, the magician who first inspired Lance, noticed his talent. When Lance was a teenager, Collins became his mentor. He taught Lance the basic skills of being a professional magician.
Another important mentor for Burton was Channing Pollock. Pollock taught Burton special ways to handle cards and use doves in his acts.
Early Success and TV Fame
In 1977, as a teenager, Lance Burton entered his first magic competition and won first prize. Just after his 20th birthday in 1980, he received a "Gold Medal of Excellence" from the International Brotherhood of Magicians.
Soon after, Burton moved to Southern California. Within a week, he appeared on The Tonight Show on October 28, 1981. He was invited back to the show many times, performing ten times when Johnny Carson was the host and another ten times during Jay Leno's time as host. Burton also appeared on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
Becoming a Las Vegas Star
Lance Burton started with an eight-week show at the Folies Bergère in Las Vegas. His contract was then extended for a record-breaking nine years!
In 1982, he competed in the international Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques (FISM) competition in Lausanne, Switzerland. He won the "Grand Prix" prize, which is the main award at the FISM competition. He was the youngest person ever to win this award and the first American to do so.
His Own Show and Theater
In 1991, Lance Burton created, directed, and wrote his own magic show. It opened at the Hacienda Hotel and ran for five years.
In August 1994, Burton signed a huge 13-year contract with the Monte Carlo Resort in Las Vegas. This was the longest contract given to any entertainer in Las Vegas history at that time. A special theater, the Lance Burton Theater, was built just for his show. It cost $27 million and opened on June 21, 1996. The theater had 1,274 seats and was designed exactly how Burton wanted it.
Entertainment Today magazine called his show the #1 family magic act. During its 13-year run, Burton earned an estimated $110 million.
In 2004, Burton celebrated his tenth anniversary at the Monte Carlo. He introduced a new illusion called "Solid Gold Lady," using $10 million in real gold. He also appeared on the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon in 2006.
On July 1, 2009, Burton signed a new six-year contract extension. However, this contract ended earlier than planned, and his final show was on September 4, 2010.
In 2020, Lance Burton performed in Blackpool, England.
Television Appearances
Lance Burton has appeared in several TV shows and specials.
- In 1986, he was a guest star in an episode of Knight Rider called "Deadly Knightshade." He played a magician who was the mastermind behind a murder.
- Also in 1986, he appeared in Nickelodeon's Halloween special Mystery Magical Special.
Burton also starred in his own network television specials, including:
- The Legend Begins (1996)
- The Encounter (1997)
- Top Secret (1998)
- On The Road (2001)
For his Top Secret special, which aired on February 24, 1999, Burton performed a daring illusion. He appeared to escape from the path of a speeding roller coaster called "The Desperado" at Buffalo Bill's Hotel & Casino in Primm, Nevada. The Desperado is one of the tallest and fastest roller coasters in the United States. He seemed to avoid the coaster by just a tiny fraction of a second, making it look like the trick almost went wrong.
In 2010, Burton appeared on an episode of the History channel series American Restoration. The show's crew repaired a light pole at his home that had been damaged in a windstorm.
In 2022, Lance Burton was a guest judge on Criss Angel's Magic with the Stars on The CW. He was also mentioned in an episode of Modern Family in season 4.
Awards and Recognition
Lance Burton has received many awards for his amazing magic.
- 1982 Grand Prix Award at FISM: He won this for a performance where he stood in a street scene and magically produced doves, candles, and gentleman's walking canes.
- 1997 Blackstone Theatre Award.
- 2016 David Devant Award: This award is from The Magic Circle and is given to people who have made a big difference in advancing the art of magic.
