Dick Williams (magician)
Encyclopedia
Dick Williams is a former television and radio presenter and magician
who holds the record for hosting the longest-running television magic show in the world. Under the name "Mr Magic" he presented the show Magicland
on WMC-TV
in Tennessee
from 1966 until his retirement in 1989. Dick performed tricks and illusions, juggled clubs and
scarves, and is often remembered for his signature magician's finger aerobics.
and began learning magic at the age of seven from a "Gilbert" magic set, which he had received as a Christmas present. He remained so keen on magic and became so proficient that his local magic club, the "Wizards of Wichita
", later made an exception to its minimum age rule and allowed him to join when he was 13 rather than the usual lower limit of 18. During the second world war he performed with the club at military bases. He joined the US Navy in 1945 and served on the battleship USS West Virginia
.
He began his broadcasting career at the age of 17, when he won a voice contest and got a job as an announcer with a local radio station. After several years in radio he moved to Amarillo, Texas
, in the 1950s to become a TV weatherman on the station KGNC
. Dick performed over 300 magic shows on KGNC (now KAMR) TV channel 4 (NBC)
in Amarillo, TX.
In 1965, Williams joined WMC-TV, the NBC
affiliate in Memphis
, Tennessee, as a staff announcer and weatherman (over 7000 weathercasts by 1989). After hearing about his magic show in Texas, the WMC-TV management also asked him if he would start a similar show in Memphis. He agreed on the basis that he thought the show would run for about a year. Magicland was a weekly half-hour live-audience magic series for children and first aired on WMC-TV in 1966. Against Williams expectations, the show remained popular for 23 years until his retirement in 1989. In total, 1200 episodes were produced.
Guest stars on Magicland: Harmon Baker, Blackstone, Jr., Zaney Blaney, Ali Bongo, John Booth, John Calvert, Ricki Dunn, Frank Everhart, David Ginn, Mercer Helms, George Johnstone, Bob & Nikki Kenney, Jay Marshall, The Memphis Magicians, Charlie Miller, Tom Ogden, Col. Seymour, Ben Small, Joe White, and Mark Wilson (source: Who's Who in Magic by Whaley).
Dick was featured in the 2005 Guinness World Records book on p. 182 in a "Magic & Illusions" section as well as p. 154 in the 2006 book for having the longest-running magic show in television history, with 1200 broadcasts (1500 TV shows total, if you include his shows on NBC in TX). He was the first to perform the Zig-Zag illusion on American TV (April 4th, 1971). He is a member of the International Brotherhood of Magician's Order of Merlin - Excalibur.
Williams was assisted for much of his career by his wife Virginia, who was a coloratura soprano
and music teacher. As well as acting as onstage magician's assistant
, she sewed costumes, organized props, arranged music and directed other assistants. Virginia died on 1 January 2007 after 57 years of marriage. She was predeceased by the couple's only child, Sherry.
Dick "Mr. Magic" Williams turned 84 in July 2011.
Magic (illusion)
Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means...
who holds the record for hosting the longest-running television magic show in the world. Under the name "Mr Magic" he presented the show Magicland
Magicland
Magicland was a television magic show for children that ran for 23 years on the Memphis, Tennessee, station WMC-TV. It holds the Guinness World Record for the longest continuously running television magic series in the world....
on WMC-TV
WMC-TV
WMC-TV is the NBC affiliate television station for the Memphis, Tennessee metropolitan area. The station serves roughly the western third of Tennessee, northwestern Mississippi, northeastern Arkansas and the southeastern corner of Missouri over the air on satellite and on various cable systems. Its...
in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
from 1966 until his retirement in 1989. Dick performed tricks and illusions, juggled clubs and
scarves, and is often remembered for his signature magician's finger aerobics.
Life and career
Williams was born in 1927. He spent his early life in KansasKansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
and began learning magic at the age of seven from a "Gilbert" magic set, which he had received as a Christmas present. He remained so keen on magic and became so proficient that his local magic club, the "Wizards of Wichita
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
", later made an exception to its minimum age rule and allowed him to join when he was 13 rather than the usual lower limit of 18. During the second world war he performed with the club at military bases. He joined the US Navy in 1945 and served on the battleship USS West Virginia
USS West Virginia (BB-48)
USS West Virginia , a , was the second ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 35th state.Her keel was laid down on 12 April 1920 by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company of Newport News, Virginia. She was launched on 17 November 1921 sponsored by Miss Alice Wright Mann,...
.
He began his broadcasting career at the age of 17, when he won a voice contest and got a job as an announcer with a local radio station. After several years in radio he moved to Amarillo, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, in the 1950s to become a TV weatherman on the station KGNC
KGNC
KGNC is a radio broadcast service in Amarillo, Texas, USA. It operates KGNC and KGNC-FM . Both stations are owned by the Morris Communications Company since acquiring the Amarillo Globe-News Publishing Company in 1972. KGNC was formed when the Amarillo Globe-News Publishing Company purchased two...
. Dick performed over 300 magic shows on KGNC (now KAMR) TV channel 4 (NBC)
in Amarillo, TX.
In 1965, Williams joined WMC-TV, the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Tennessee, as a staff announcer and weatherman (over 7000 weathercasts by 1989). After hearing about his magic show in Texas, the WMC-TV management also asked him if he would start a similar show in Memphis. He agreed on the basis that he thought the show would run for about a year. Magicland was a weekly half-hour live-audience magic series for children and first aired on WMC-TV in 1966. Against Williams expectations, the show remained popular for 23 years until his retirement in 1989. In total, 1200 episodes were produced.
Guest stars on Magicland: Harmon Baker, Blackstone, Jr., Zaney Blaney, Ali Bongo, John Booth, John Calvert, Ricki Dunn, Frank Everhart, David Ginn, Mercer Helms, George Johnstone, Bob & Nikki Kenney, Jay Marshall, The Memphis Magicians, Charlie Miller, Tom Ogden, Col. Seymour, Ben Small, Joe White, and Mark Wilson (source: Who's Who in Magic by Whaley).
Dick was featured in the 2005 Guinness World Records book on p. 182 in a "Magic & Illusions" section as well as p. 154 in the 2006 book for having the longest-running magic show in television history, with 1200 broadcasts (1500 TV shows total, if you include his shows on NBC in TX). He was the first to perform the Zig-Zag illusion on American TV (April 4th, 1971). He is a member of the International Brotherhood of Magician's Order of Merlin - Excalibur.
Williams was assisted for much of his career by his wife Virginia, who was a coloratura soprano
Coloratura soprano
A coloratura soprano is a type of operatic soprano who specializes in music that is distinguished by agile runs and leaps. The term coloratura refers to the elaborate ornamentation of a melody, which is a typical component of the music written for this voice...
and music teacher. As well as acting as onstage magician's assistant
Magician's assistant
A magician's assistant is a performer in a magic act who is not billed as the magician or principal name in the act. The role of an assistant can include holding the props that are used by a magician, shifting props onto and off the stage, and serving as a living prop in illusions that involve...
, she sewed costumes, organized props, arranged music and directed other assistants. Virginia died on 1 January 2007 after 57 years of marriage. She was predeceased by the couple's only child, Sherry.
Dick "Mr. Magic" Williams turned 84 in July 2011.
Other sources
- Tanner, Beccy, "Local magician's listing in Guinness is no illusion", The Wichita Eagle, 25 August 2004
- LeClaire, Margerette, "News from the Pres.", Society of Memphis Magicians newsletter, April 2007.