It was his final disappearing act.
Renowned magician Daryl Easton was found dead from an apparent suicide in a closet at Hollywood’s Magic Castle on Friday night — as he was due to take the stage at the famed magicians’ clubhouse.
Easton, 61, wore only his underwear and had a bag over his head, TMZ reported.
Known for his deft, complicated card tricks and his many lectures, videos and books on magic, Easton had been a regular visitor and an award-winning performer at the club since the 1980s.
Los Angeles police call his death a suicide, a spokesman said.
“The magic community mourns the loss of one of our most beloved and talented performers,” the Academy of Magic Arts and the Magic Castle said in a joint statement Saturday.
Easton, a native Californian born with the name Daryl Martinez, is survived by his wife, magician Alison Easton, and their two teenaged daughters. They lived in Auburn, Calif.
The Eastons had given lectures and performances in over 250 cities and 25 countries, according to Daryl’s bio page on All-about-magicians.com.
In January 2001, Daryl performed magic at the inauguration celebration of President George W. Bush, the bio said.
“Magic is my LIFE and it’s all I’ve ever done as my sole source of income since I was a teenager,” he wrote during an online forum three years ago.
He has explained that he changed his name to correct a birth certificate discrepancy.
“I’ve never been rich,” he said in the same forum. “Perhaps rich in spirit, but, alas, not in dollars. I’m still working on it so if anyone would care to assist, I’m at your service!”
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