Award-Winning Magician
This week on “Talk About Las Vegas With Ira,” Ira welcomes award-winning magician and showbiz veteran Fielding West, fresh from being honored at the inaugural Global Magicians Hall of Fame ceremony in Las Vegas.
In this revealing and entertaining conversation, Fielding shares how his magical journey began at the age of nine—sparked by a life-changing gift from his grandfather to help him overcome learning disabilities. That spark eventually led to a bold decision: dropping out of graduate school after a chance encounter with none other than Steve Martin. After driving the comedy icon to a gig and watching him perform, Fielding knew his true calling was on stage, not in a classroom.
Fielding dives into the art of misdirection, the thrill of discovering magic’s secrets, and the pure joy of an audience's reaction. He shares the hilarious origin of his unique sense of humor—including a childhood prank involving a whoopee cushion—and talks candidly about performing today while managing COPD with an oxygen concentrator, calling it the “bullet catch” for aging magicians.
He also reflects on the legendary “magician’s graveyard,” names his top three magicians in history, and offers heartfelt insights into his decades-long friendship with master magician Lance Burton.
It’s a magical, moving, and memorable episode you won’t want to miss.
It all began in the beginning. Who would ever believe that Fielding West was literally made in Japan. Conceived in the northern island of Hokkaido, Japan. His father, a US Air Force officer, wanted his first male child to be born in America. He was transferred to Boise, Idaho just-in-time for Fielding to arrive.
Ten years later he was introduced to Magic by his grandfather who was an amateur magician. After high school, Fielding put himself through college, paying for his degree by performing in a band as a drummer and doing magic shows for children. In 1973 while selling cars and going to graduate school at night in Tallahassee, Florida, he met an unknown comedy magician named Steve Martin. After seeing Steve perform, he knew that he wanted to be in show business for the rest of his life. The concept of a comedy act began.
Three years later he moved to Jacksonville, Florida and started his own Saturday morning children's show on television with a Post/Newsweek station, WJ XT. The name of the show was “Magic Gang” and was the highest rated kids show in its time slot for two years. Not being satisfied with entertaining only children, Fielding pursued a nightclub act.
A year and a half after leaving television, he put together a successful touring show called “The Amazing Fielding And Company.” The show included illusions and hypnosis, which for after two years led him to Las Vegas. There he met Liberace, who helped Fielding get his first break by showcasing his act at the Sahara Hotel. Since then, he has been working all over the world as a featured star in large production shows and as an opening act for major stars.