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 March 10, 1960) is a famous American magician. He performed over 15,000 shows in Las Vegas. More than 5 million people watched his amazing magic acts! Lance retired from his main shows in 2010. Today, he sometimes helps judge other magicians on TV shows like Criss Angel's Magic with the Stars.
Contents
Becoming a Magician
Early Spark: A Magical Beginning
Lance Burton first loved magic when he was just 5 years old. He was a volunteer at a magic show by Harry Collins. Harry Collins did a trick called The Miser's Dream. He made silver coins appear from the air and even from Lance's ears!
Young Lance was totally amazed by this trick. A neighbor heard how interested he was. She gave him a book called Magic Made Easy. It had ten simple tricks. Lance quickly learned every single one. His first shows were for kids in his neighborhood. He charged them a nickel to watch!
Learning from the Best: Mentors and Inspiration
Harry Collins, the magician who first inspired Lance, saw his talent. When Lance was a teenager, Collins became his teacher. He taught Lance the basic skills of being a magician.
Another important person who helped Lance was Channing Pollock. Pollock taught Lance how to do amazing card manipulation tricks. He also showed Lance how to use doves in his acts.
Winning Awards and Moving to California
In 1977, as a teenager, Lance entered his first magic contest. He won first prize! This was a big step for him.
In 1980, just after his 20th birthday, he won another big award. He received a "Gold Medal of Excellence" from the International Brotherhood of Magicians.
Soon after, Lance moved to Southern California. Within a week, he was on The Tonight Show! He appeared on the show ten times when Johnny Carson was the host. He also performed ten more times when Jay Leno hosted. Lance has also been on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
Las Vegas Star: A Career in Magic
Starting in Las Vegas: Folies Bergère
Lance Burton began performing at the Folies Bergère show in Las Vegas. His first contract was for eight weeks. But his shows were so popular that his contract was extended for nine years! This was a record at the time.
In 1982, he competed in a big international magic contest. It was the Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques (FISM) competition in Lausanne, Switzerland. Lance won the "Grand Prix" prize, which is the main award. He was the youngest person ever to win it. He was also the first American to win this top honor.
Building His Own Show: The Lance Burton Theater
In 1991, Lance created his very own magic show. He produced, directed, and wrote it himself. The show opened at the Hacienda Hotel and ran for five years.
In August 1994, Lance signed a huge contract with the Monte Carlo Resort in Las Vegas. It was a 13-year contract, the longest ever given to a Las Vegas entertainer back then!
The Monte Carlo Resort built a special theater just for Lance's show. It was called the Lance Burton Theater. It cost $27 million and had 1,274 seats. The theater opened on June 21, 1996. Entertainment Today magazine called his show the #1 family magic act. During its 13-year run, Lance earned an estimated $110 million.
Special Illusions and Retirement
In 2004, Lance celebrated his tenth anniversary at the Monte Carlo. He introduced a new illusion called "Solid Gold Lady." For this trick, he used $10 million in real gold!
On July 1, 2009, Lance signed a new six-year contract. This would have kept him performing until 2015. However, the contract ended earlier than planned. His final show was on September 4, 2010.
In 2020, Lance Burton performed in Blackpool, England.
Television Appearances
Guest Roles and Magic Specials
In 1986, Lance Burton was a guest star on the TV show Knight Rider. He played a mastermind magician in an episode called "Deadly Knightshade." In the same year, he appeared in Nickelodeon's Halloween special, Mystery Magical Special.
Lance also starred in several of his own television specials:
- The Legend Begins (1996)
- The Encounter (1997)
- Top Secret (1998)
- On The Road (2001)
The Desperado Roller Coaster Illusion
For his Top Secret special, which aired on February 24, 1999, Lance did an amazing trick. He appeared to escape a speeding roller coaster! This happened at Buffalo Bill's Hotel & Casino in Primm, Nevada.
He was on the tracks of "The Desperado" roller coaster. This is one of the tallest and fastest roller coasters in the United States. It takes one minute to climb up. Then, it takes only 3.5 seconds to rush down to where Lance was. He seemed to avoid the coaster by just a tiny fraction of a second. After the trick, he looked at the camera and joked, "That was stupid...That was really stupid."
Other TV Appearances
Lance Burton appeared on an episode of the History channel show American Restoration. This episode was shown on November 1, 2010. In the show, a team repaired a light pole at Lance's house. It had been broken in a windstorm.
In 2022, Lance Burton was a guest judge on Criss Angel's Magic with the Stars on The CW network.
Awards and Honors
Lance Burton has received many important awards for his magic:
- 1982 Grand Prix Award at FISM: He won this for a performance where he stood in a street scene. He wore a traditional top hat and tails. He made doves, candles, and walking canes appear.
- 1997 Blackstone Theatre Award: This award recognizes excellence in magic.
- 2016 David Devant Award from The Magic Circle: This award is given to people who have greatly helped improve the art of magic.
