Posts by Richard

Ali moves back to the dinner table where his wife Veronica places a bowl of soup before him.  Slydini is sitting at the head of the table saying, “Mr. Ali, Mr. Ali, please watch, I have six coins.”   Ali, however, is focused on slurping his soup. Regardless of what Slydini does to attract his attention,…

The next night Ali says graciously, “Richard, I would like to invite you to join me in my Presidential Suite.”  Along with Ali’s wife, Veronica, there are five other celebrated magicians, including John Cornelius and the misdirection artist, my slick friend Tony Slydini.  The Champ grabs me by the shoulder with one of his huge…

Ali says, “Come on Richard, let’s go see a show together without the women. My treat.” Ali gets us seats down front, just to the left of the stage. During the show, Ali keeps staring at me rather than the show. The fuzzy reflection from the stage lights reflect off his glaring eyes. I keep…

I am awestruck to be standing next to the greatest boxer of all time. And, to my shock, Ali is the fan at this moment: it turns out that The Greatest considers this little card guy from El Cajon the expert, and he wants to demonstrate some magic tricks that he has learned as an…

After the awards have been presented, the celebrity reverb starts. I meet the amazing illusionist David Copperfield. Then Dennis Marks says with an undertone of excitement, “There’s another spectator who wants to meet you personally.”  We enter the casino’s Presidential Suite. I walk through the door, I’m led toward the commotion in the middle of…

“And the first place winner of the ‘Golden Lion’ award from Siegfried and Roy is… Richard Turner!” When I hear my name called out, my stomach drops and my heart skips a beat. I take a breath and think, “That’s me!” Janalee lines me up, and to thunderous applause and a standing ovation I start…

It is finally time to hear the winners. In the back of the theater, I’m standing with Janalee, and I am listening to hear who will receive the bronze, silver and gold. My vision is fuzzy, but my ears are taking it all in. Then, due to my years as a fighter, I can sense…

I sit down and approximately 1,000 people sit up. Everyone goes quiet, and I can feel everybody is riveted. Despite the huge stakes and the thick tension, my karate and acting training enables me to give the impression that I am pretty calm, cool, and collected when, in fact, “the butterflies” in my stomach are…

I’m backstage, standing anxiously waiting to hear the announcer call my name. I’m listening carefully. Coming from the stage in a monotone voice the MC says, “Next we have Richard Turner.” “Whoa!” The butterflies in my stomach just did a triple summersault. It feels like Sensei Murphy calling me into the ring. I slowly start…

“Relaxing around my table is card-counter Bobby Singer, award winning magician Johnny Ace Palmer, and once again fighter John Douglas. Bobby, I understand your first meeting with Richard was worthy of a TV episode and Johnny, your comic book story….Well I’ll let you tell it.” “Yes, Jon,” Singer says, “I first had the privilege of…

I’ve decided to enter the highly combative Desert Magic Seminar Competition in Las Vegas, hosted by the Vegas headliners, Siegfried and Roy. It’s a downright cutthroat rivalry among the world’s most notable and talented magicians. The odds-makers are certainly not favoring a card mechanic. Vernon confides to me and I can hear the murmuring: they…

Many of my friends are skeptical about this radical arrangement, and many think it is a really bad idea to marry this woman. Others are blunt, opining, “Janalee is flat out bad news. Get out now, while you still can!”  But, when it comes to women, I am blind in more than one way. Even…