St. Louis’ first black magician to be honored
Of the St. Louis American
As any magician will tell you, the hand is quicker than the eye.
Unfortunately, the number of black magicians is quickly dwindling to a precious few.
St. Louis’ first African-American magician is alive, well and keeping a keen eye on the skills of his mystic trade.
Harold D. Russell, known on stage as “The Divine Mind,” will receive the Society of American Magicians’ most prestigious honor, the Gold Medal, at 6 p.m. Thursday Sept. 8 at the Missouri History Museum.
Magicians from across the nation will attend the event and perform in a magical tribute to Russell.
“I’m really proud. It’s going to be like Christmas Day,” he said.
“There used to be many more black magicians. When I go out and perform, I often hear ‘I haven’t seen a black magician before.’ A lot of people never have.”
Russell says his “bad leg” has slowed him following a hip replacement surgery, but says he will “never stop” following magic and practicing his craft.
“They have conventions that come to St. Louis. I have to see the wares, I have to buy something,” he said.
Born in St. Louis in 1922, Russell saw his first magic act at the Grand Theater when he was 7 years old.
“I can remember (magician) Howard Thurston (throwing) cards to the second balcony where my family was sitting. It’s called scaling. I went home and tried to do it and failed,” Russell said.
“I’ve always loved entertaining people. I can’t sing or dance, so magic was something I wanted to do.”
It wouldn’t be until the mid 1950s that magic was re-introduced to Russell’s life.
A bartender at the Meat Arts nightclub would use flash paper to impress guests when he returned their change.
Russell tried to imitate the bartender “with great amounts of lighter fluid on tissue.”
Another failure and a fire hazard for Russell.
He spoke with the bartender, who explained the trick and told him where it and others could be purchased.
At a store named Lindhort’s, not only did he purchase 50-cent magic tricks, he met nationally acclaimed magicians including Gene DeVoe, Joe Scott, Roy Mayer, Ernie Heldman and Don Lawton.
His family grew tired of his magic act practices, but his dog Bullet would watch for hours.
Soon, people were paying to watch the skillful Russell.
He has performed hundreds of shows over the past 50 years on television, in nightclubs, at banquets and for birthday bashes for people of all ages. He has played the Gold Palace in Gaslight Square and the St. Louis Playboy Club in their heydays and many, many living rooms.
He performed at Stix Baer and Fuller’s (Dillard’s) Breakfast with Santa for more than 20 years and has also been asked to perform magic at a person’s wake.
It was during the holiday season that one of the region’s most successful black architects got his big break. No, not in architecture, in magic.
“I was doing little stuff that I saw magicians do on TV,” said Karl A Grice, founder of Grice Group Architects.
Grice, who was 20, said a friend of his had a girlfriend who was a magician’s assistant. That magician turned out to be Harold D. Russell.
“I remember the first time he invited me to his house. I got there at 9 p.m. and I didn’t leave until 3 in the morning,” Grice said.
“It was right around the time that he was doing holiday shows. He let me serve as his apprentice. He started teaching me, and we went to a national convention the next year where he helped me develop an act.”
Grice said a magic trick often works its way into his remarks when he is speaking at architecture conventions or making a professional presentation.
Along with Grice, Russell has helped develop the careers of many other magicians and now the Society of American Magicians is paying him its highest tribute.
The Gold Medal has only been awarded to six SAM members and the last one was presented 10 years ago.
Russell lists his greatest accomplishment as winning the top mentalist act at the SAM Convention in St. Louis in 1971.
He is a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. He makes sure that “everyone is welcomed at a Ring meeting and that newcomers don’t sit alone or get lost,” said another Russell protégé, Jim Nagel.
As for his award, Russell says “it’s going to be special.”
“All those great magicians will be here to honor me. That’s something else.”
