My great friend Val Andrews who wrote over 200 books of magic, contributed hundreds of articles, tricks, & ideas to magic magazines, authored numerous new Sherlock Holmes stories, often allied to magic, died of a heart attack last Thursday, 12th. October.He was aged 80.
Amongst the books there were the full biographies of Dante, Murray, Will Goldston,Carmo, Kalanag, Frederick Culpitt, Horace Goldin, Chung Ling Soo( which thanks to Goodliffe contains nearly 50 colour plates of Soo's posters) & smaller biogs on The Great Lyle & Chefalo. I owe him for great advice when I planned my Dante Tribute Show in 1980 & my Kalanag lecture. I still have all the letters he wrote to me over 26 years. He broadccast , toured America & the UK with magic lectures; 3 times at Nottm Guild. My wife and I found him just as quiet, charming, sensitive & oh so knowledgeable about magic when he stayed with us.
I have sent a much longer biog/eulogy & memories of him to Abra, Radio Magic, The Linking Ring & Stan Allen
Remember him with respect and gratitude for what he brought to Magic.
Allen Tipton.
