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John Breeds 1943 - 2025
Remembered by Bob Gill
Yet
another of Magic’s Good Guys has passed. JOHN BREEDS was a much loved and
admired pro family entertainer and magic creator, manufacturer and publisher.
Too many men mark their slide into midlife with a red convertible, ponytail and a succession of dubiously judged relationships. Breedsy found Magic.
John’s background in electronics, engineering, business sales & marketing coupled with an interminable curiosity and artistic flair served him well as he pursued his new obsession. From the mid 70’s until his final year John remained an unapologetic magic nut. A trainer of TV engineers in television design and maintenance, John found himself to become a pioneer of global TV satellite technology, writing the two classic manuals in the field in use across the industry and in universities.
His mastery of optics theories led him in 1978 to develop what would immediately become a classic of magic: the Ultimate Magic Painting: one of the most pirated principles in kids’ magic. Ian Adair, no less, described it as, “The One That Got Away: the best trick Supreme never released” (John chose to go with Geoff Maltby’s Repro 71, who mismade then criminally undersold it).
Following a dalliance with close-up, a lecture by the great Terry Herbert lit John’s fire for family entertainment. He left the golden handcuffs of the corporate world to turn pro, and quickly built an enviable reputation as a kids’ entertainer in the affluent Cotswolds, which he’d fortuitously made his home.
Like his mentor John’s show was a scrupulously routined and masterfully controlled riot, with the young helpers always the heroes centre-stage getting the upper hand on silly John the fall guy. That was his mantra, his distinctive persona - and his meal ticket. He targeted lucrative, exclusive private family parties, including entertaining royalty.
Emboldened, he took the (always questionable) decision to become a magic dealer, concentrating on his own wide range of routines and classic books on the business of children’s magic; How To Create Kids’ Magic & Triple Your Income and Lotz Of Magic For Kidz became much-treasured, standard works among the cognoscenti: Terry Herbert and David Kaye headed the lineup of pros singing their praises to anyone who’d listen.
His standout creations were his total reworking of Lewis J. Thomas’ “Chinese Washing Machine” and David Howarth’s “Don’t Ring That Bell”, both marvels of engineering, ingenuity and quality hand building, with killer routines. There was barely a dealer item in his hourlong act; he featured his own routines and props, making and selling his entire act to innumerable pro acts safe in the knowledge that his material was bulletproof under fire.
John and his lifelong wife and best friend Penny treasured their three lovely boys and two delightful granddaughters. It was the cruel double act of cancer and dementia that finally defeated this courageous, creative, talented gentleman on 8th August. That day saw the demise of a gifted magician, creative innovator, devoted family man and cherished friend. I’ll miss our regular phone calls and pub get-togethers over a period of 50 years when he’d unveil his latest crazy-but-brilliant idea.
Love ya, John.
Your admiring friend and co-conspirator,
Bob Gill, August 2025