LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) — Daryl Easton, a professional magician who performed at the inauguration celebration of President George W. Bush Jr. was found dead at Hollywood’s Magic Castle on Friday. He was 61.
According to TMZ, paramedics were called to the Magic Castle, an exclusive nightclub for the magicial community, at about 7:30 p.m. local time on Friday where the found an unresponsive Easton, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
An initial statement released by the Magic Castle suggested that Easton's death was “ruled a suicide by the Los Angeles Police Department,” but the LAPD did not confirm that to Variety, stating that the case was still under investigation.
“It is with great sadness that the Academy of Magic Arts (AMA) and the Magic Castle mourn the passing of a celebrated magician and AMA family member last night,” the Magic Castle wrote in a statement. “The AMA’s deepest regrets and heart-felt sympathy go out to the family.”
Self-proclaimed as the Magician's Magician, Easton was a well-regarded practitioner of the craft and won numerous awards, including the gold medal at FISM – the World Congress of Magic and recently he was voted one of the 100 most influential magicians of the 20th century by Magic Magazine.
As a professional performer, he toured and lectured extensively and held long-running residencies at Caesars Magical Empire, Caesars Palace, Las Vegas.
