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It's always sad when such a great person such as Ali is lost.

All my best wishes to his friends and family

A great magician, a great man - and a great loss to us all.

RIP, Ali

Barry

The British magic communities darkest moment.

Ali was one of the kindest hearts in magic. We will all miss him


Rest in peace Ali Bongo

I've deleted this from the ill thread as it's more fitting here in the tirbute thread!



This is so sad...

ALI was one of the nicest magicians and most helpful I have had the pleasure of speaking to. He had a n aura and a patience about him that made him not just a great entertainer but also a great teacher and adviser.

You'll be missed and my thoughts go to all those affected by his death.

RIP ALI BONGO

Quote:
In 1973, the usually unassuming magician found himself at the centre of a controversy which the Daily Mail called "the great debate of the moment". Bongo was the first experienced magician publicly to challenge the Israeli-born showman Uri Geller over his supposed psychic powers. Vowing to "put my money where my mouth is", Bongo made an appearance on the Blue Peter programme aiming to recreate Geller's spoon-bending and mind-reading experiments in front of a studio audience using only conventional magic techniques.
The experiment was a muted success – "He didn't break the fork he only bent it," complained the metallurgist Alistair Brown – but Bongo emerged from the episode as a likeable figure, self-deprecating and generous with his expertise. He had been taken to Geller's hotel by a Daily Mail journalist the previous day in an attempt to force Geller into "proving" his abilities before an expert. The Israeli psychic ordered him out of the building with the words: "I have no time for magicians! What do they know about my powers?"


SOURCE: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituar ... Bongo.html

God Bless HIM

if any member is on facebook, please sign up to the tribute group that has been set up.
Its worth it, just to watch the video tribute to Ali. I watched it last night , and i dont mind admiting, I absolutly bawled my eyes out. I mean seriously big tears....

yet i was smiling at the same time.

I've sent an email to BBC asking them to make a documentary

i recon Objective should make one.

After all, many of the guys at objective probably owe a huge debt to him.
And im sure that people would give up their time for free to be on it.

A very sad day, he will be missed. My condolences to his family.

And why the hell isn't it SIR Ali Bongo???

He deserved recognition and decoration far more than most of those honoured by the Queen.

I echo these comments. A great man. Will be greatly missed.
I loved his sense of 'keeping it simple'.

Condolences to the family.

I only met him once but he made a pretty big impression on me, and even took the time to give me a few tips and pointers.

People from all over the world are joining the facebook tribute group, which I think shows how many people he helped or inspired over the course of his life.

While the majority of people are reflecting on Ali's magical skills, very few recollect that he was also a very accomplished illustrator.

A good many of the old magic books and magazines carried Ali's graphical work and I'm fortune enough to have an autographed copy of one of his works.

I've had lots of work colleages and friends from outside of the magic community ask me today if I'd seen the news about Ali and we should also note that it's not just us that are mourning this sad loss. A testimonial as to how many people are thinking about the Great Bongo and reflecting on their growing up and remembering better times.

Ali was something special, a once in a generation gift to the people!!

rip ali bongo

a true giant of magic