Billy McComb (April 12, 1922 – April 30, 2006) was a British-born American magician and

comedian A comedian (feminine comedienne) or comic is a person who seeks to entertainment, entertain an audience by making them laughter, laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolishly (as in slapstick), or employing prop c ...

. He was one of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

's leading magicians in the 1950s and 1960s. He moved to

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in the 1970s. He joined

The Magic Castle The Magic Castle is a performance venue, restaurant, and clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts for magicians and magic enthusiasts in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, United States. The Academy was started in 1952 by W ...

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

, his number being 3323.

Early life

McComb was born in

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

, the son of a physician who was

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

ed for his contribution to

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research. He was educated at

Portora Royal School Portora Royal School located in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, was one of the 'free schools' founded by the royal charter in 1608, by James I, making it one of the oldest schools in Ireland at the time of its closure. Origina ...

Enniskillen Enniskillen ( , from , ' Ceithlenn's island') is the largest town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is in the middle of the county, between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 14,086 at the 2011 censu ...

. He then trained for a career in

medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...

Queen's University, Belfast The Queen's University of Belfast, commonly known as Queen's University Belfast (; abbreviated Queen's or QUB), is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. The university received its charter in 1845 as part of ...

. He graduated as a

doctor Doctor, Doctors, The Doctor or The Doctors may refer to: Titles and occupations * Physician, a medical practitioner * Doctor (title), an academic title for the holder of a doctoral-level degree ** Doctorate ** List of doctoral degrees awarded b ...

in 1949.

Entertainer

McComb decided to develop a talent he discovered at school as a magician and comedian. He made a name for himself in Ireland, then started working in London in the West End cabaret scene. He married June Cochrane, a former Miss Ireland, and they became a performing duo. He performed before Queen Elizabeth II at a Royal Variety Performance in the early years of his career. He then began working as a magician and comedian performer aboard cruise ships internationally, with his magician's assistant, Mindy Masters. It was during this era of his career that his travels brought him to the United States. After he went to Hollywood, he made over three hundred appearances on television and in movies. He appeared in a number of television series and also opened for such stars as

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was an American comedian, actor, entertainer and producer with a career that spanned nearly 80 years and achievements in vaudeville, network radio, television, and USO Tours. He appeared ...

. One role was Walter Wilder in the 1995 film ''Lord of Illusions'', directed by

Clive Barker Clive Barker (born 5 October 1952) is an English writer, filmmaker, and visual artist. He came to prominence in the 1980s with a series of short stories collectively named the ''Books of Blood'', which established him as a leading horror author ...

. He also appeared in the 1987 TV film ''Young Harry Houdini''. He became a prominent figure at

and was billed as "The Worlds Largest Leprechaun." In 1964 he was invited to join the Entertainment charitable fraternity, the

Grand Order of Water Rats The Grand Order of Water Rats is a British entertainment industry fraternity and charitable organisation based in London. Founded in 1889 by the music hall comedians Joe Elvin and Jack Lotto, the order is known for its high-profile membership an ...

. In his 80s he continued to perform regularly in Las Vegas and as an opening act for

The Amazing Johnathan John Edward Szeles (September 9, 1958 – February 22, 2022), better known by the stage name The Amazing Johnathan, was an American comedian and Magician (illusion), magician. His act was mostly composed of hijinks, interaction with one specifi ...

. In his later years his act was noted for his self-deprecating jokes. In his opening he would look at his watch and say, ''"It's either this or rice pudding night at the home."'' Books he wrote include ''The Professional Touch'' and ''Mc Comb's Magic: 25 Years Wiser''. He was a prolific inventor of magic and illusions, known for creating such items as the "Mc Combical Deck" and the "Double Thin Model Sawing" routine, in which two assistants are sawed in half, and the halves of the two assistants are switched. He was sought after by many as the answer man in magic when a magician was having difficulty locating or developing a particular routine. Billy McComb died on April 12, 2006, aged 84, in

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, predeceased by his son, Sean McComb, who died in 2002. His widow, June McComb, died in 2007.

References

External links

*
McComb on magic.about.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:McComb, Billy 1922 births 2006 deaths Alumni of Queen's University Belfast American magicians British emigrants to the United States People educated at Portora Royal School Comedians from Belfast Entertainers from Greater Los Angeles Academy of Magical Arts Lifetime Achievement Fellowship winners Academy of Magical Arts Masters Fellowship winners Academy of Magical Arts Performing Fellowship winners Academy of Magical Arts Visiting Magician of the Year winners