He was 81 years old.
The pair left Germany devastated by the war to become stars of theater, cinema and television, combining their spectacular illusions with rare animals.
For Fischbacher, it all started with a child’s curiosity.
Born in Rosenheim, Germany, on June 13, 1939, he was attracted at the age of 8 by a magical book he saw in a store.
As he walked away, he said, he found five marks on the sidewalk and immediately returned to buy the book.
He met Horn in 1957 on the cruise ship TS Bremen, where Siegfried worked as an administrator and presenter. He summoned Horn, the captain’s messenger, to assist him in his nightly magic show.
According to a press release about Fischbacher, Roy asked a question after the show that would change their lives.
“Siegfried, the disappearance of rabbits is common, but can you make a cheetah disappear?” Horn said.
After pausing to consider, Fischbacher replied, “In magic, anything is possible.”
Unbeknownst to him – and the ship’s captain – Horn smuggled his pet cheetah aboard the cruise to join the act.
What followed was a five-decade partnership.
“We did what we did for love, not for success or money,” said Fischbacher once. “We had a deep respect for each other. We literally created each other: I created Roy and Roy created Siegfried.”
They started in Las Vegas in 1967 as an act featured in the notable Las Vegas magazines “Follies Bergère”, “Hallelujah Hollywood” and “Lido de Paris” before becoming headliners in “Beyond Belief” at New Frontier in 1981.
In 1990, the duo became a “destination” in Las Vegas when they began their 14-year stint at The Mirage.
The $ 30 million production – an unprecedented amount at the time – regularly sold out the then largest theater in the history of Las Vegas.
The musical song ended in 2003 after Horn’s column was cut in a stage incident with a white tiger named Mantecore.
Fischbacher paid tribute to his longtime friend and collaborator after his death.
“Roy has been a fighter all his life, including the last few days,” he said in a statement. “I sincerely thank the team of doctors, nurses and staff at Mountain View Hospital who worked heroically against this insidious virus that ended up killing Roy.”
Funeral services will be private with plans for a public memorial for Fischbacher to be held in the future.