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Goldfinger and Dove - Biography | All About Magicians.com

  • ️Mon Aug 29 2011

Profile

Real Name

Goldfinger: Jack Vaughn

Aliases

None

Occupation

Magician

Place of Birth

Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Height

Unknown

Eyes

Brown

Hair

Black

Abilities

Goldfinger possesses the ability of superior conjuring and showmanship prowess. He is incomparable in originality and style; with his trademarked goatee, he is adorned with a turban, impeccable card skills and fluid dove productions.

Dove weaves her own magic into throughout their act, seasoning the magic with beauty and glamour.

Interesting Fact

Goldfinger practices Pyramidology; he is part of a worldwide "pyramid power" cult which believe that the placement of oneself inside pyramid-shaped devices increases one's personal energy.

Bio


Goldfinger a.k.a., Jack Vaughn grew up in the streets of Cleveland, Ohio. He found fascination in the magical arts as a child. With a dollar-magic kit in his hand, he often dreamt of getting famous and getting out of the slums.

Vaughn immersed himself in magic in grade school, and even persuaded a Cleveland parish priest who was an amateur magician to teach him a new trick every Sunday - which kept him going to church.

He would sit, glued to the TV set watching Mark Wilson and "The Land of Allakazam." The show had such a tremendous effect on young Vaughn, that it would be the primary impetus for setting his sights on a career in magic.

His growing skill was apparent, and he soon had to seek out the best magicians in the city to apprentice under him. He studied for a time under the famous "Chandu", who taught him some of the allied variety arts such as fire eating.

Within a few years, Vaughn, already billing himself as "Goldfinger," had left college to handle all the nightclub gigs he had lined up along the Eastern seaboard.

Armed with an entertainer's heart as well as Uncle Sam's orders, Jack later served in Vietnam in the Army.

Vaughn was turned into a soldier-magician whose job was to make friends for the U.S. among the Vietnamese in the jungle hamlets. He was transferred into the USO to entertain troops and special groups.

Vaughn into a soldier-magician whose job was to make friends for the U.S. among the Vietnamese in the jungle hamlets.

He met a beautiful dancer named Dove while on a leave in Hawaii, and she became his life partner as well as his magic partner.

Vaughn turned a significant corner in his road to international stardom after meeting Channing Pollock. Vaughn introduced himself to Pollock at the Magic Castle, and Pollock traveled to Magic Mountain to view Goldfinger's act.

Pollock provided both encouragement and technical assessments that lifted the act into new levels of professionalism and commercial success.

Other strong influences upon Vaughn included Ron Wilson, Jules Lenier, Peter Pit, Les Smith and Owen Magic Supreme, Marvyn and Carol Roy, Johnny and Pam Thompson, The Shimadas, and Max Maven.

The golden duo began experiencing escalating notoriety in the 1970's especially in Hollywood, where Milt Larsen's "It's Magic!" featured their wonderful act, and the Magic Castle (Academy of Magical Arts) bestowed its coveted "Stage Magician of the Year" honor upon Goldfinger and Dove in 1979.

The award, suitably so, was presented my Mr. Channing Pollock. Goldfinger and his wife repeated in winning that honor.

Originality, style, and creativity set Goldfinger apart. The act cannot be copied. Audiences long remember the sleek Goldfinger adorned with a turban, impeccable card skill, smooth bird productions, and his transformation of the classic newspaper tear into an unforgettable magic memory.

The unique blend of captivating personality, movement, music, highly skilled manipulation, and crisp presentation of illusions form an indelible mark on the minds of audiences.

The husband and wife team have graced the stages of Las Vegas and international nightclubs in places like Puerto Rico, Tokyo, Monte Carlo, and Rome, as well as appearing on such television shows as The Tonight Show, Dinah Shore, Sammy Davis, Jr. Show, and network specials such as "Like Magic", and "World's Greatest Magicians."

Information credit: GoldfingerAndDove.com, Encyclopedia of Magic and Magicians, Ebony, Apr 1977.


For more information, visit Goldfinger and Dove's Official Website.

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