"I consider myself a very fortunate old man. I've made a couple of 180 degree turns in my life, much to the consternation of some of my friends. But as the song goes, 'I did it my way.' My father told me just before he died, 'Son, the only thing I take with me are the memories. The only money that was ever worth earning was the money we used for what we wanted when we wanted it. Try to live each day with the thought it is your last day.' I have tried to live that way."

He wanted to see America and traveled throughout the 48 states. He told his agents, "Send me where no one else will go. I don't care about the money. " He sought bookings at Indian reservations to pursue his love of Native American culture. He played to Eskimos and Indians who knew no English. His greatest and most rewarding challenge was to present an act both totally visual and totally audible for an audience consisting half of deaf children, half of blind children.

Native Americans are his other love and acceptance into their culture has been one of his proudest achievements.

He'd show up in a jerkwater town and think he was going to lose his shirt on the percentage booking. The sponsors would put the show in a barn, hang blankets for curtains, sheets for backdrops and bring in benches for seats. Then from everywhere families would appear, pouring into the tiny town, standing room only, forcing him to do two shows. Good memories.

Other memories - in a West Virginia mining town, no place to eat, the Fleetwood too big for the tight hills, carrying props through a torrential rain to a high school half way up a mountain. After it's over, some wizened old woman keeps the pocketable bills and hands him two heavy bags of coins for the trip back down. She said, "You don't seem to care for West Virginia - but remember young man ­ our money spends!"

He went from $25 for his early magic shows to $1000 a week for his Happy Dayze act. He was making $500 a week when a hotel suite went for $25 a day. He owned a plane and used it for making long jumps between shows. He has driven CadiIlacs for about 35 years. He was offered TV spots but turned them down.

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