WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.700 Okay, so let's talk about John Edward Sells. 00:00:02.879 --> 00:00:06.200 Now, maybe that name doesn't immediately jump 00:00:06.200 --> 00:00:07.839 out at you. Probably not for most people, no. 00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:10.699 But his stage name almost certainly will, The 00:00:10.699 --> 00:00:13.880 Amazing Jonathan. Ah, yes. Definitely rings a 00:00:13.880 --> 00:00:16.539 bell. And today we are doing a deep dive into 00:00:16.539 --> 00:00:19.280 the sources, looking at how this guy built a 00:00:19.280 --> 00:00:21.899 whole career, a really long -running one, on, 00:00:22.120 --> 00:00:25.280 well... chaos, basically. Idle chaos. It was 00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:27.399 this bizarre mix, wasn't it? Like traditional 00:00:27.399 --> 00:00:31.379 stage magic meets really aggressive shock humor. 00:00:31.690 --> 00:00:33.929 And it all led up to this incredibly dramatic 00:00:33.929 --> 00:00:37.009 final act fighting a health battle that everyone, 00:00:37.130 --> 00:00:39.009 including him, thought would end years earlier. 00:00:39.229 --> 00:00:41.789 Yeah, exactly. So our mission today really is 00:00:41.789 --> 00:00:44.530 to kind of unpack what made him tick. What was 00:00:44.530 --> 00:00:47.429 the essence of this, let's call him abrasive, 00:00:47.429 --> 00:00:50.090 but undeniably successful performer? Right. We're 00:00:50.090 --> 00:00:51.789 not just giving you a biography here. We're trying 00:00:51.789 --> 00:00:53.869 to figure out a strategy. How did he become this 00:00:53.869 --> 00:00:56.670 Las Vegas mainstay, a headliner for what, over 00:00:56.670 --> 00:00:59.689 a decade? Yeah, from 2001 to 2014, pretty much 00:00:59.689 --> 00:01:03.090 solid. which is huge in Vegas. And he did it 00:01:03.090 --> 00:01:05.269 by basically flipping the bird to every expectation, 00:01:05.629 --> 00:01:08.329 right? He wasn't your slick, family -friendly 00:01:08.329 --> 00:01:10.629 magician. Not even close. Or even just a standard 00:01:10.629 --> 00:01:13.109 stand -up comedian. He took this devastating 00:01:13.109 --> 00:01:16.269 health diagnosis, a terminal one, and somehow 00:01:16.269 --> 00:01:20.069 wove it into the final chapter of his whole performance. 00:01:20.370 --> 00:01:23.549 It became part of the act, in a way. Yeah. Raw, 00:01:23.569 --> 00:01:26.810 unfiltered. And you can't really understand his 00:01:26.810 --> 00:01:29.390 whole brand without starting where he started 00:01:29.390 --> 00:01:32.569 himself. The shock value. He gave himself this 00:01:32.569 --> 00:01:35.250 nickname. Oh, yeah. That was just brilliant marketing, 00:01:35.390 --> 00:01:37.829 honestly. Chilling, but brilliant. He called 00:01:37.829 --> 00:01:40.849 himself the Freddy Krueger of comedy. Boom. Right 00:01:40.849 --> 00:01:43.670 there. You know what you're in for. Mmm. Or rather, 00:01:43.730 --> 00:01:44.730 you know, you don't know what you're in for, 00:01:44.769 --> 00:01:45.829 but it's probably not going to be comfortable. 00:01:45.969 --> 00:01:47.930 Exactly. It's a promise and a warning. All in 00:01:47.930 --> 00:01:50.370 one. It says, you know, expect fake blood. And 00:01:50.370 --> 00:01:53.569 that name, it just perfectly captures the contradiction 00:01:53.569 --> 00:01:55.730 at the heart of his whole thing. Yeah. Because 00:01:55.730 --> 00:01:58.409 the sources are pretty clear on this. His actual 00:01:58.409 --> 00:02:01.430 act. It was mostly like messing around. Hijinks, 00:02:01.489 --> 00:02:03.870 as they put it. Right. Hijinks and interacting 00:02:03.870 --> 00:02:06.500 with the audience a lot. Yeah, often pretty aggressively 00:02:06.500 --> 00:02:08.879 too. Pulling people up, making them part of the 00:02:08.879 --> 00:02:11.919 chaos, the actual magic tricks, you know, the 00:02:11.919 --> 00:02:14.319 technically difficult stuff. The illusions, the 00:02:14.319 --> 00:02:16.939 perfect sleight of hand. That was almost secondary, 00:02:17.240 --> 00:02:19.360 sometimes non -existent even. He wasn't trying 00:02:19.360 --> 00:02:21.419 to wow you with how smoothly he made a rabbit 00:02:21.419 --> 00:02:24.900 disappear. No, he was relying on the shock, the 00:02:24.900 --> 00:02:28.560 mess, the audience's immediate gut reaction. 00:02:28.699 --> 00:02:31.580 Exactly. That blend, this aversion of magic through 00:02:31.580 --> 00:02:34.360 comedy. or maybe comedy through subverted magic. 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:37.659 That was his unique selling proposition, and 00:02:37.659 --> 00:02:40.719 somehow it gave him this incredible longevity 00:02:40.719 --> 00:02:43.900 in a town, Las Vegas, that usually eats performers 00:02:43.900 --> 00:02:46.580 alive if they're not predictably polished. Okay, 00:02:46.620 --> 00:02:49.090 let's dig into that. Freddy Krueger style a bit 00:02:49.090 --> 00:02:50.830 more because it wasn't just a name. It was a 00:02:50.830 --> 00:02:53.449 whole aesthetic. We need to talk about the stage 00:02:53.449 --> 00:02:55.729 gore and the gimmicks. He had to look different. 00:02:55.870 --> 00:02:57.770 Oh, absolutely. You couldn't mistake him for 00:02:57.770 --> 00:02:59.770 David Copperfield. Let's put it that way. Or 00:02:59.770 --> 00:03:02.550 even just a regular comic in a suit. He cultivated 00:03:02.550 --> 00:03:05.909 this look, this energy that was manic, maybe 00:03:05.909 --> 00:03:07.949 a little unhinged. The headband? The headband, 00:03:08.090 --> 00:03:10.409 yeah. His ever -present headband, as the sources 00:03:10.409 --> 00:03:12.789 call it. Sometimes felt like it was literally 00:03:12.789 --> 00:03:14.849 holding his act together. Or maybe his head? 00:03:15.289 --> 00:03:18.460 Maybe. But the real differentiator, the thing 00:03:18.460 --> 00:03:21.979 that made people talk, was the gore. The explicit, 00:03:22.120 --> 00:03:25.539 shocking, visual stuff, he worked into the routine. 00:03:25.819 --> 00:03:27.900 And we're not talking subtle hints here. This 00:03:27.900 --> 00:03:30.659 was in your face, designed to make you uncomfortable, 00:03:30.780 --> 00:03:32.979 but then somehow laugh about it. The sources 00:03:32.979 --> 00:03:35.240 give some really specific examples that were 00:03:35.240 --> 00:03:37.900 like staples of his act. They do, and they're 00:03:37.900 --> 00:03:40.860 pretty out there. They tell you a lot about his 00:03:40.860 --> 00:03:43.159 commitment to this persona. Okay, like what? 00:03:43.439 --> 00:03:45.800 Give us the gory details. All right. Well, one 00:03:45.800 --> 00:03:49.979 famous bit involved him seemingly sucking on 00:03:49.979 --> 00:03:52.319 his own eyeball, which was hanging out of the 00:03:52.319 --> 00:03:54.340 socket. Right. Just the visual alone. You're 00:03:54.340 --> 00:03:56.400 immediately like, wait, what is that? Exactly. 00:03:56.400 --> 00:03:59.099 Total misdirection through revulsion. Then there 00:03:59.099 --> 00:04:00.800 was a bit where he'd appear to slice his own 00:04:00.800 --> 00:04:03.879 wrists. Stage blood, obviously. Clever techniques. 00:04:04.060 --> 00:04:08.080 But the image, the idea of it. Was that he was 00:04:08.080 --> 00:04:10.419 harming himself for your entertainment, which 00:04:10.419 --> 00:04:13.280 is inherently unsettling. Deeply. And probably 00:04:13.280 --> 00:04:15.080 the most iconic one, the one you saw in posters 00:04:15.080 --> 00:04:18.620 and stuff, skewering his own tongue. Yeah, that 00:04:18.620 --> 00:04:21.100 one's burned into my memory. Right. And what's 00:04:21.100 --> 00:04:23.939 key there, the dynamic, is that he wasn't trying 00:04:23.939 --> 00:04:26.139 to fool you into thinking he had magical powers. 00:04:26.819 --> 00:04:30.120 He wasn't aiming for oohs and ahhs about the 00:04:30.120 --> 00:04:32.279 impossibility. No, he wanted the flinch. He wanted 00:04:32.279 --> 00:04:35.220 the gasp and then the relief, the laugh that 00:04:35.220 --> 00:04:37.720 comes after the shock. Precisely. He often even 00:04:37.720 --> 00:04:40.019 showed you how the trick worked or just admitted 00:04:40.019 --> 00:04:42.759 it wasn't a trick at all. The entertainment wasn't 00:04:42.759 --> 00:04:45.800 the mystery. It was the audacity. How far could 00:04:45.800 --> 00:04:47.920 he push it? And the audience was right there 00:04:47.920 --> 00:04:50.300 with him, whether they wanted to be or not. You 00:04:50.300 --> 00:04:52.480 mentioned the interaction. Crucial. His shows 00:04:52.480 --> 00:04:55.120 weren't just him talking at people. They heavily 00:04:55.120 --> 00:04:57.420 relied on pulling someone specific out of the 00:04:57.420 --> 00:04:59.600 audience. Making them the co -star or maybe the 00:04:59.600 --> 00:05:02.399 victim. Kind of, yeah. They became the foil for 00:05:02.399 --> 00:05:05.600 his chaos. Which, you know, that takes serious 00:05:05.600 --> 00:05:07.660 skill. You have to be able to read the room, 00:05:07.819 --> 00:05:10.720 improvise constantly, control the energy, even 00:05:10.720 --> 00:05:12.860 while seeming totally out of control. That's 00:05:12.860 --> 00:05:15.639 a great point. People may be focused on the blood 00:05:15.639 --> 00:05:18.759 and missed the incredible improvisational talent 00:05:18.759 --> 00:05:22.220 underneath. Totally. The chaos was meticulously 00:05:22.220 --> 00:05:25.800 crafted chaos. And it worked. In Vegas, of all 00:05:25.800 --> 00:05:27.939 places. This wasn't some underground club. He 00:05:27.939 --> 00:05:30.699 was a mainstream Vegas headliner for a very long 00:05:30.699 --> 00:05:32.600 time. It's actually kind of staggering when you 00:05:32.600 --> 00:05:34.379 think about it. That longevity, like you said, 00:05:34.420 --> 00:05:37.699 2001 to 2014, a year -round headliner. Think 00:05:37.699 --> 00:05:39.600 about the shows that come and go on the strip. 00:05:39.899 --> 00:05:44.120 Big productions, huge names, staying power like 00:05:44.120 --> 00:05:47.879 that, especially for a solo comic magician. It's 00:05:47.879 --> 00:05:50.279 rare. It really is. It means people were buying 00:05:50.279 --> 00:05:53.699 tickets consistently, year after year. The word 00:05:53.699 --> 00:05:55.379 of mouth must have been incredible. People telling 00:05:55.379 --> 00:05:57.259 their friends, you got to see this crazy guy. 00:05:57.420 --> 00:05:59.699 Now, there's this claim mentioned in the sources 00:05:59.699 --> 00:06:01.860 about his historical significance, that he was 00:06:01.860 --> 00:06:04.779 the longest running, most successful solo comic 00:06:04.779 --> 00:06:07.360 magician in U .S. history. Right. I saw that. 00:06:07.420 --> 00:06:09.000 And it's important, like you said, that the source 00:06:09.000 --> 00:06:11.139 itself notes that this needs verification. That's 00:06:11.139 --> 00:06:14.319 a huge claim. It is. Longest running, most successful, 00:06:14.540 --> 00:06:18.000 hard metrics to pin down definitively. But the 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:20.339 fact that the claim even exists, that it was 00:06:20.339 --> 00:06:23.480 associated with him during his peak. That tells 00:06:23.480 --> 00:06:25.779 you something about his perceived status, whether 00:06:25.779 --> 00:06:28.600 it's statistically perfect or not. He was seen 00:06:28.600 --> 00:06:30.560 as being in that top tier setting records. And 00:06:30.560 --> 00:06:32.879 we don't need that specific claim to see his 00:06:32.879 --> 00:06:35.060 success because the local accolades are concrete. 00:06:35.519 --> 00:06:38.040 Awards from the people who really judge Vegas 00:06:38.040 --> 00:06:41.579 success. Exactly. He won Best Comedian from the 00:06:41.579 --> 00:06:45.639 Las Vegas Review Journal, the LVRJ. That's a 00:06:45.639 --> 00:06:47.899 big deal there. The paper of record for the strip. 00:06:48.180 --> 00:06:50.959 And Comedian of the Year from Nevada Magazine. 00:06:51.399 --> 00:06:54.000 Plus. The LVRJ put him on their list of the top 00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:56.319 10 acts in Vegas, period. Not just top 10 comedians 00:06:56.319 --> 00:07:00.060 or magicians. Top 10 acts. Alongside the huge 00:07:00.060 --> 00:07:02.779 Cirque shows and music residencies. Right. So 00:07:02.779 --> 00:07:04.879 these weren't just participation trophies. These 00:07:04.879 --> 00:07:07.240 were serious acknowledgments from the industry 00:07:07.240 --> 00:07:11.079 and the press saying, OK, this weird, gory, chaotic 00:07:11.079 --> 00:07:14.160 act, it's actually top tier entertainment. It 00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:16.439 validated the whole Freddy Krueger thing as legitimate 00:07:16.439 --> 00:07:18.800 performance art. Which maybe helps explain his 00:07:18.800 --> 00:07:22.740 connections within the... the more traditional 00:07:22.740 --> 00:07:24.920 magic world, you'd think the serious magicians 00:07:24.920 --> 00:07:26.560 might have looked down on him. You might think 00:07:26.560 --> 00:07:29.660 that, yeah. The guy skewering his tongue doesn't 00:07:29.660 --> 00:07:33.220 exactly scream prestige magic, but his relationship 00:07:33.220 --> 00:07:36.040 with Criss Angel is fascinating. Right. Another 00:07:36.040 --> 00:07:38.560 huge Vegas name, but with a very different sort 00:07:38.560 --> 00:07:40.839 of dark serious vibe. Totally different vibe. 00:07:41.000 --> 00:07:43.339 But they work together quite a bit. Jonathan 00:07:43.339 --> 00:07:45.740 actually helped Criss Angel design and perform 00:07:45.740 --> 00:07:48.970 illusions. So behind the scenes, Jonathan had 00:07:48.970 --> 00:07:51.189 the technical chops. He wasn't just a comedian 00:07:51.189 --> 00:07:53.889 pretending to do magic. Not at all. He understood 00:07:53.889 --> 00:07:56.490 the mechanics, the engineering, the misdirection 00:07:56.490 --> 00:07:59.149 required for big stage illusions. And it wasn't 00:07:59.149 --> 00:08:01.550 just behind the scenes. He appeared on Criss 00:08:01.550 --> 00:08:04.949 Angel's TV show, Mind Freak, three times as a 00:08:04.949 --> 00:08:07.569 guest. That collaboration is really key, isn't 00:08:07.569 --> 00:08:10.209 it? It shows that even though his stage act constantly 00:08:10.209 --> 00:08:13.569 poked fun at or dismantled serious magic, he 00:08:13.569 --> 00:08:15.850 was still respected by the serious magic community. 00:08:16.589 --> 00:08:18.970 He wasn't some total outsider throwing rocks. 00:08:19.129 --> 00:08:22.009 He was inside, using his skills to help execute 00:08:22.009 --> 00:08:24.470 these massive illusions for one of the biggest 00:08:24.470 --> 00:08:26.569 names in the business. It proved the foundation 00:08:26.569 --> 00:08:28.730 was solid, even as the building he constructed 00:08:28.730 --> 00:08:32.419 on top was on. Well, bizarre. Absolutely. And 00:08:32.419 --> 00:08:34.279 that persona, that Vegas headliner we've been 00:08:34.279 --> 00:08:36.460 talking about, he didn't just appear out of nowhere, 00:08:36.600 --> 00:08:38.860 fully formed with a bloody tongue. We got to 00:08:38.860 --> 00:08:40.940 trace it back, right? Back to the beginning of 00:08:40.940 --> 00:08:43.480 John Edwards Schelzels. Let's do that. So born 00:08:43.480 --> 00:08:46.639 September 9, 1958, Detroit, Michigan, parents, 00:08:47.000 --> 00:08:50.659 Doreen and Edward Schelz. But his path wasn't 00:08:50.659 --> 00:08:52.799 in the auto industry. He headed west. Yeah, in 00:08:52.799 --> 00:08:55.440 the 70s, he moves out to California. And where 00:08:55.440 --> 00:08:57.720 does he start performing? Not in comedy clubs 00:08:57.720 --> 00:09:00.000 initially. Right on the street, San Francisco, 00:09:00.220 --> 00:09:02.360 street performer. And that's so important, isn't 00:09:02.360 --> 00:09:04.220 it? Yeah. Street performing teaches you things 00:09:04.220 --> 00:09:05.919 you just can't learn anywhere else. Like how 00:09:05.919 --> 00:09:08.700 to grab attention instantly. Exactly. How to 00:09:08.700 --> 00:09:11.279 handle hecklers, how to adapt on the fly, how 00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:13.220 to hold a crowd that could just walk away at 00:09:13.220 --> 00:09:15.600 any second. That's where he honed those improv 00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:18.269 skills, that quick wit. Skills that were absolutely 00:09:18.269 --> 00:09:21.370 essential for his later Vegas act. With all the 00:09:21.370 --> 00:09:23.830 audience interaction, he learned to manage chaos 00:09:23.830 --> 00:09:27.309 by performing in chaos. Perfectly put. He later 00:09:27.309 --> 00:09:30.190 weaponized that chaos, made it part of the routine. 00:09:30.529 --> 00:09:34.049 But even with all the anarchy and the shock value 00:09:34.049 --> 00:09:36.590 he layered on top, there was always this core 00:09:36.590 --> 00:09:39.230 connection back to classic magic. A very personal 00:09:39.230 --> 00:09:41.389 one. Yeah, that dedication in his Comedy Central 00:09:41.389 --> 00:09:44.389 special. Wrong on every level. He dedicated it 00:09:44.389 --> 00:09:46.980 to his Uncle Eugene. Right. because Uncle Eugene 00:09:46.980 --> 00:09:50.340 showed him his very first card trick, and Jonathan, 00:09:50.500 --> 00:09:53.320 in his typical style, said that trick started 00:09:53.320 --> 00:09:56.419 this whole mess. It's such a great line, but 00:09:56.419 --> 00:09:58.259 it grounds the whole thing, doesn't it? It shows 00:09:58.259 --> 00:10:00.779 that underneath the Freddy Krueger persona, there 00:10:00.779 --> 00:10:02.700 was this kid who was just amazed by a simple 00:10:02.700 --> 00:10:05.600 card trick. Exactly. The core wasn't anger or 00:10:05.600 --> 00:10:08.100 nihilism. It was wonder, the fun of deception. 00:10:08.440 --> 00:10:10.799 He just chose to wrap that wonder in, you know, 00:10:10.820 --> 00:10:12.860 fake eyeballs and jokes about cutting yourself. 00:10:13.159 --> 00:10:15.519 So from the streets of San Francisco, how did 00:10:15.519 --> 00:10:18.120 he make the leap to national TV? Seems like that 00:10:18.120 --> 00:10:20.879 happened relatively quickly. It did, which says 00:10:20.879 --> 00:10:23.120 a lot about how unique and attention -grabbing 00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:26.159 his act was right from the start. His first big 00:10:26.159 --> 00:10:28.759 break on television was... the eighth annual 00:10:28.759 --> 00:10:31.840 Young Comedian show in 1983. Okay, so that put 00:10:31.840 --> 00:10:34.399 him on the map nationally. Big time. It opened 00:10:34.399 --> 00:10:36.840 doors. And he wasn't just a flash in the pan. 00:10:37.039 --> 00:10:39.779 He became a pretty regular face on TV through 00:10:39.779 --> 00:10:42.399 the 80s and 90s. People knew who he was. He was 00:10:42.399 --> 00:10:45.669 reliable, high energy. Did he try other formats? 00:10:45.710 --> 00:10:48.370 I think I remember him hosting something. Yeah, 00:10:48.429 --> 00:10:52.029 briefly. In 1991, he hosted this syndicated show 00:10:52.029 --> 00:10:54.909 called Ruckus. It was like a variety slash game 00:10:54.909 --> 00:10:57.889 show kind of thing. Ruckus, okay. Didn't last 00:10:57.889 --> 00:11:00.049 long. It's interesting, though. It's like they 00:11:00.049 --> 00:11:02.429 tried to bottle his manic energy into a more 00:11:02.429 --> 00:11:05.429 conventional, maybe family -friendly format. 00:11:05.690 --> 00:11:08.110 And it just didn't quite work. Maybe too restrictive 00:11:08.110 --> 00:11:10.490 for him. Could be. But what really shows his 00:11:10.490 --> 00:11:12.990 staying power, his consistent appeal, are the 00:11:12.990 --> 00:11:15.090 numbers on the big talk shows and comedy shows. 00:11:15.549 --> 00:11:17.490 Multiple appearances on Late Night with David 00:11:17.490 --> 00:11:20.129 Letterman. Which was like the seal of approval 00:11:20.129 --> 00:11:22.549 for comics back then. Absolutely. Getting on 00:11:22.549 --> 00:11:25.230 Letterman was huge. And then there's Fox's Comic 00:11:25.230 --> 00:11:27.710 Strip Live. He was on that show a record number 00:11:27.710 --> 00:11:31.769 of times. How many? 24 appearances. Wow. 24 times. 00:11:31.929 --> 00:11:33.970 That's not just a guest spot. That's practically 00:11:33.970 --> 00:11:36.809 being a cast member. Pretty much. It shows the 00:11:36.809 --> 00:11:38.879 producers loved him. It wasn't just a novelty 00:11:38.879 --> 00:11:40.860 act you book once. He was someone they could 00:11:40.860 --> 00:11:43.600 count on again and again to bring the energy 00:11:43.600 --> 00:11:45.980 and the laughs. He delivered. He was just part 00:11:45.980 --> 00:11:47.980 of the comedy furniture for a long time. And 00:11:47.980 --> 00:11:50.259 speaking of fitting into specific niches, his 00:11:50.259 --> 00:11:52.960 only actual acting credit is kind of perfect. 00:11:53.259 --> 00:11:55.399 Oh, right. Playing a character, not just being 00:11:55.399 --> 00:11:58.120 himself. Yeah. He played Uncle Jonathan on The 00:11:58.120 --> 00:12:01.100 Weird Al Show. In the obligatory holiday episode, 00:12:01.259 --> 00:12:03.419 no less. And that makes so much sense. Weird 00:12:03.419 --> 00:12:05.519 Al, another master of subverting expectations. 00:12:05.539 --> 00:12:07.620 Of course, he'd have the amazing Jonathan on. 00:12:07.960 --> 00:12:10.460 playing a slightly more cartoonish version of 00:12:10.460 --> 00:12:13.519 his already cartoonish persona, the weird, unpredictable 00:12:13.519 --> 00:12:16.259 uncle. He was already kind of a pop culture archetype 00:12:16.259 --> 00:12:18.899 by then. Definitely. And reflecting that and 00:12:18.899 --> 00:12:21.080 his place in the comedy world, he pops up in 00:12:21.080 --> 00:12:24.440 that 2005 documentary, The Aristocrats. Ah, yes. 00:12:24.799 --> 00:12:27.779 The ultimate dirty joke documentary. Exactly. 00:12:27.919 --> 00:12:30.460 Given his whole style, his comfort with pushing 00:12:30.460 --> 00:12:33.059 boundaries and being offensive, his inclusion 00:12:33.059 --> 00:12:35.879 there feels almost mandatory. It cements his 00:12:35.879 --> 00:12:38.320 place among the envelope pushers. And this whole 00:12:38.320 --> 00:12:41.740 package, this unique blend of shock and skill, 00:12:41.940 --> 00:12:43.919 it didn't just play in the U .S., did it? No, 00:12:43.919 --> 00:12:46.100 he actually found significant success internationally, 00:12:46.419 --> 00:12:48.600 particularly in Australia. How did that happen? 00:12:48.860 --> 00:12:51.870 Apparently, through... appearances on a really 00:12:51.870 --> 00:12:54.549 popular Australian TV show called Hey Hey It's 00:12:54.549 --> 00:12:57.110 Saturday, he became a big name down there. Which 00:12:57.110 --> 00:12:59.769 proves the appeal wasn't just American or just 00:12:59.769 --> 00:13:04.210 Vegas. The visual comedy, the shock, the irreverence, 00:13:04.230 --> 00:13:06.610 it translated. Yeah, that physical humor, that 00:13:06.610 --> 00:13:09.450 willingness to cross lines, it seems pretty universal. 00:13:09.669 --> 00:13:12.250 It wasn't just some niche taste. It was globally 00:13:12.250 --> 00:13:14.750 marketable weirdness. You know, it's really easy 00:13:14.750 --> 00:13:17.120 to just think of... The amazing Jonathan as the 00:13:17.120 --> 00:13:19.879 guy on stage, covered in fake blood, nonstop 00:13:19.879 --> 00:13:21.700 energy. Yeah, that's the dominant image for sure. 00:13:21.879 --> 00:13:24.220 But the sources show this whole other side to 00:13:24.220 --> 00:13:27.570 him. Off stage, he was incredibly creative, entrepreneurial 00:13:27.570 --> 00:13:30.750 even, writing books, launching weird businesses, 00:13:31.090 --> 00:13:33.990 combining passions in really unexpected ways. 00:13:34.269 --> 00:13:36.590 Absolutely. He wasn't just the performer. He 00:13:36.590 --> 00:13:38.909 was clearly driven by other interests, too. Yeah. 00:13:38.990 --> 00:13:40.970 And the way he combined them is fascinating. 00:13:41.169 --> 00:13:43.669 Like, take classic car collecting. Okay, a fairly 00:13:43.669 --> 00:13:46.149 common hobby for successful entertainers. Right. 00:13:46.230 --> 00:13:48.269 And then take drive -in movie theaters. Okay, 00:13:48.350 --> 00:13:50.809 nostalgic Americana. Seems totally unrelated. 00:13:51.269 --> 00:13:54.509 Exactly. But Jonathan smashes them together. 00:13:54.970 --> 00:13:57.470 In 2008, while he's still headlining nightly 00:13:57.470 --> 00:14:00.269 in Vegas, he launches this side project called 00:14:00.269 --> 00:14:02.970 The Amazing Underground. The Amazing Underground. 00:14:03.149 --> 00:14:05.730 Okay, tell me more. It was literally an indoor, 00:14:05.950 --> 00:14:09.269 members -only drive -in movie theater built inside 00:14:09.269 --> 00:14:12.450 his massive warehouse facility in Vegas. Wait, 00:14:12.490 --> 00:14:14.929 indoor? How does that work? He'd use his own 00:14:14.929 --> 00:14:16.889 collection of classic cars for people to sit 00:14:16.889 --> 00:14:19.490 in, project the movie onto a screen. It was this 00:14:19.490 --> 00:14:22.250 exclusive, private, totally unique experience. 00:14:22.629 --> 00:14:25.700 Wow. That's incredibly niche and kind of brilliant. 00:14:25.899 --> 00:14:28.419 Isn't it? It tells you so much about his whole 00:14:28.419 --> 00:14:31.779 aesthetic. He takes something familiar, the drive 00:14:31.779 --> 00:14:35.519 -in, makes it exclusive, secret almost, hidden 00:14:35.519 --> 00:14:39.000 in a warehouse. It's that same pattern. Taking 00:14:39.000 --> 00:14:41.799 tradition and twisting it, making it his own 00:14:41.799 --> 00:14:44.179 weird thing. Surrounding himself with his classic 00:14:44.179 --> 00:14:47.100 cars, entertaining his friends. It's like his 00:14:47.100 --> 00:14:49.960 ultimate clubhouse. Totally. Controlled environment, 00:14:50.159 --> 00:14:53.070 just like his stage show. And beyond building 00:14:53.070 --> 00:14:56.070 bizarre venues, he put serious effort into writing, 00:14:56.149 --> 00:14:58.230 too. He actually published a book. Yeah, a how 00:14:58.230 --> 00:15:00.350 -to book, essentially, called Every Trick in 00:15:00.350 --> 00:15:02.950 the Book. And it was all about practical jokes. 00:15:03.129 --> 00:15:05.409 Not just magic tricks. No, practical jokes were 00:15:05.409 --> 00:15:07.830 a big focus. But the sources say it was a mix. 00:15:07.970 --> 00:15:09.929 It had classic practical jokes, straightforward 00:15:09.929 --> 00:15:13.009 magic tricks, and his own original stuff in both 00:15:13.009 --> 00:15:15.190 categories. So he's kind of documenting the whole 00:15:15.190 --> 00:15:17.669 spectrum of deception, from whoopee cushions 00:15:17.669 --> 00:15:21.029 to, I don't know. His own weird inventions. Pretty 00:15:21.029 --> 00:15:23.590 much. It shows this respect, maybe, for the history 00:15:23.590 --> 00:15:26.250 of fooling people, even as his stage act was 00:15:26.250 --> 00:15:28.610 all about blowing up those traditions. He understood 00:15:28.610 --> 00:15:30.929 the foundations. Which makes the project he was 00:15:30.929 --> 00:15:33.350 working on later even more poignant. He started 00:15:33.350 --> 00:15:35.789 writing his memoirs around 2014. Right, just 00:15:35.789 --> 00:15:37.570 as the health stuff was really getting serious. 00:15:37.889 --> 00:15:40.909 And the working title he had for it was perfect. 00:15:41.230 --> 00:15:44.009 What was it? Drive It. Like he stole it. Oh, 00:15:44.029 --> 00:15:46.610 man. That just sums up his whole approach, doesn't 00:15:46.610 --> 00:15:50.019 it? To performing, to life. Go full throttle, 00:15:50.200 --> 00:15:52.820 consequences be damned. Exactly. Aggressive, 00:15:52.919 --> 00:15:57.299 high stakes, live fast. And tragically, the sources 00:15:57.299 --> 00:15:59.659 note that his health declined so much that he 00:15:59.659 --> 00:16:01.879 couldn't finish it. So the story remains unfinished, 00:16:02.100 --> 00:16:04.779 in his own words, consumed by the very health 00:16:04.779 --> 00:16:07.159 battle we're about to get into. Yeah. A powerful 00:16:07.159 --> 00:16:09.360 symbol, really. And before that health crisis 00:16:09.360 --> 00:16:11.399 completely took over, he even dipped his toes 00:16:11.399 --> 00:16:14.659 into the digital world, right? Adapting to how 00:16:14.659 --> 00:16:17.480 media was changing. He did. In 2013, he hosted 00:16:17.480 --> 00:16:19.539 his own online talk show. What was it called? 00:16:19.620 --> 00:16:21.620 Knowing him, it had to have a fitting name. Oh, 00:16:21.639 --> 00:16:24.620 it did. Burn Unit. Burn Unit. Of course. Still 00:16:24.620 --> 00:16:27.039 carrying that edgy, slightly dangerous vibe, 00:16:27.120 --> 00:16:30.179 even into an online talk show format. Exactly. 00:16:30.500 --> 00:16:33.139 It shows he still wanted to create, to connect, 00:16:33.220 --> 00:16:36.340 even as... Maybe the grueling Vegas schedule 00:16:36.340 --> 00:16:39.220 was becoming too much. He just kept finding outlets, 00:16:39.460 --> 00:16:43.419 stage, books, warehouses, online streams, wherever 00:16:43.419 --> 00:16:45.980 he could broadcast that unique Jonathan energy. 00:16:46.139 --> 00:16:49.139 The drive just seems relentless, constantly performing, 00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:51.440 constantly creating in whatever form possible. 00:16:52.029 --> 00:16:54.350 And that relentlessness brings us to the final 00:16:54.350 --> 00:16:56.590 and in many ways most defining chapter of his 00:16:56.590 --> 00:16:59.129 life. This wasn't just a private struggle. His 00:16:59.129 --> 00:17:01.690 battle with illness became this public, years 00:17:01.690 --> 00:17:04.309 -long saga. Yeah, a performance in itself almost, 00:17:04.529 --> 00:17:07.589 watching him defy the odds, documenting it. It 00:17:07.589 --> 00:17:09.490 started quite a while back, actually. The first 00:17:09.490 --> 00:17:11.549 reports of a serious heart condition surfaced 00:17:11.549 --> 00:17:14.890 in March 2007. 2007, wow, so he was dealing with 00:17:14.890 --> 00:17:17.430 this even during a big chunk of his Vegas peak. 00:17:17.589 --> 00:17:19.920 Seems like it. His website later identified it 00:17:19.920 --> 00:17:22.839 specifically as cardiomyopathy, which is, well, 00:17:22.980 --> 00:17:24.920 it's a tough diagnosis for anyone, let alone 00:17:24.920 --> 00:17:27.220 a performer like him. Explain cardiomyopathy 00:17:27.220 --> 00:17:29.599 quickly. What does it do? Basically, it's a disease 00:17:29.599 --> 00:17:32.559 of the heart muscle itself. It gets weaker, often 00:17:32.559 --> 00:17:35.279 enlarged or thickened, and it just can't pump 00:17:35.279 --> 00:17:38.200 blood effectively around the body. It's progressive, 00:17:38.279 --> 00:17:40.259 usually gets worse over time. And think about 00:17:40.259 --> 00:17:42.579 his act. It was pure physical energy, right? 00:17:43.220 --> 00:17:46.160 Manic movement, constant talking, the stress 00:17:46.160 --> 00:17:48.539 of live performance every single night. That 00:17:48.539 --> 00:17:51.200 feels like the absolute worst thing for a feeling 00:17:51.200 --> 00:17:53.920 heart. It's a direct conflict. Cardiomyopathy 00:17:53.920 --> 00:17:57.200 usually demands rest, avoiding stress. His entire 00:17:57.200 --> 00:17:59.279 career was built on the opposite. Yet somehow 00:17:59.279 --> 00:18:01.839 he managed it for years, that drive it like you 00:18:01.839 --> 00:18:04.880 stole it mentality again. Exactly. The sources 00:18:04.880 --> 00:18:07.299 say initially he did relatively well. He lost 00:18:07.299 --> 00:18:09.799 weight, took blood thinners, managed to keep 00:18:09.799 --> 00:18:11.920 the Vegas show going for another five years or 00:18:11.920 --> 00:18:14.380 so after that initial diagnosis became known. 00:18:14.539 --> 00:18:16.859 But eventually, the physical reality caught up. 00:18:16.859 --> 00:18:20.079 2012 seems like a turning point. It was. That's 00:18:20.079 --> 00:18:22.039 when he decided not to renew his contract at 00:18:22.039 --> 00:18:25.720 Bally's. In December 2012, after 13 straight 00:18:25.720 --> 00:18:28.720 years, his regular Vegas headlining run ended. 00:18:29.019 --> 00:18:32.359 13 years. That's an incredible era coming to 00:18:32.359 --> 00:18:34.720 a close. Did he stop performing altogether then? 00:18:34.819 --> 00:18:37.519 Not immediately. He still toured a bit in 2013, 00:18:37.839 --> 00:18:40.779 playing clubs, trying to stay in the game, you 00:18:40.779 --> 00:18:44.400 know. But the big demanding residency was done. 00:18:44.559 --> 00:18:47.440 And then things got worse. Yeah. By 2014, his 00:18:47.440 --> 00:18:49.220 heart condition had deteriorated significantly. 00:18:49.680 --> 00:18:51.440 That's when the official retirement announcement 00:18:51.440 --> 00:18:54.680 came. Okay. Did he do final shows? He did. A 00:18:54.680 --> 00:18:57.160 sort of final public performance in Toledo, Ohio. 00:18:57.339 --> 00:18:59.819 Like a farewell wave to the general audience. 00:19:00.099 --> 00:19:03.759 But then he did two very specific, very meaningful 00:19:03.759 --> 00:19:07.000 final shows right after that. June 30th and July 00:19:07.000 --> 00:19:09.619 1st, 2014. Where were those held? At the Magic 00:19:09.619 --> 00:19:12.460 Castle in Hollywood. Ah, the Magic Castle. The 00:19:12.460 --> 00:19:14.980 heart of the established magic community. Performing 00:19:14.980 --> 00:19:18.390 his final shows there? That feels significant, 00:19:18.509 --> 00:19:20.869 like a nod to the craft beneath the chaos. Exactly. 00:19:21.390 --> 00:19:23.069 Acknowledging that world even as he was leaving 00:19:23.069 --> 00:19:26.109 the stage. But the real bombshell, the most amazing 00:19:26.109 --> 00:19:28.410 Jonathan moment of the whole retirement process, 00:19:28.690 --> 00:19:30.470 came a few months later. This wasn't going to 00:19:30.470 --> 00:19:32.529 be a quiet fade out, was it? Not a chance. November 00:19:32.529 --> 00:19:35.609 5th, 2014. He's appearing on this live talk show, 00:19:35.789 --> 00:19:38.910 ENT Speaks, in front of an audience, peers, fans. 00:19:39.420 --> 00:19:42.720 And he just drops it, announces right there that 00:19:42.720 --> 00:19:45.299 doctors had given him only a year to live. Wow. 00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:48.400 On a public talk show. That's incredibly raw 00:19:48.400 --> 00:19:51.799 and theatrical. Totally. Turning his own terminal 00:19:51.799 --> 00:19:54.200 diagnosis into a public spectacle. It was terrifying, 00:19:54.500 --> 00:19:57.059 deeply personal, but handled with that same kind 00:19:57.059 --> 00:20:00.119 of shocking audacity he used on stage, making 00:20:00.119 --> 00:20:02.480 headlines out of his own impending death. So 00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:04.819 the clock starts ticking. He's got a year, maybe. 00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:07.319 That was the prognosis. But here's the twist. 00:20:07.789 --> 00:20:10.369 The truly amazing part, he didn't die in a year. 00:20:10.529 --> 00:20:14.329 He defied it. Massively. He defied his initial 00:20:14.329 --> 00:20:17.009 terminal prognosis, as the sources put it, for 00:20:17.009 --> 00:20:19.430 several years. What was supposed to be the final 00:20:19.430 --> 00:20:23.230 curtain call just became this extended, medically 00:20:23.230 --> 00:20:25.849 baffling intermission. His defiance became the 00:20:25.849 --> 00:20:28.329 story. It really did. And that defiance, the 00:20:28.329 --> 00:20:30.390 refusal to just fade away, eventually pulled 00:20:30.390 --> 00:20:32.269 him back to performing. He couldn't stay retired. 00:20:32.569 --> 00:20:34.869 He went back on stage. When was this? In 2017, 00:20:35.069 --> 00:20:37.009 he did several shows across the U .S., a comeback 00:20:37.009 --> 00:20:39.900 tour. of sorts but it was different this time 00:20:39.900 --> 00:20:41.740 you could see the toll the illness had taken 00:20:41.740 --> 00:20:44.720 how so was he less energetic visibly yeah and 00:20:44.720 --> 00:20:47.500 he needed help this is where his personal life 00:20:47.500 --> 00:20:49.839 really intersected with the performance in a 00:20:49.839 --> 00:20:52.700 new way his partner who was also his manager 00:20:52.700 --> 00:20:56.079 anastasia sin he married her in 2014 right before 00:20:56.079 --> 00:20:58.960 the big announcement that's right anastasia became 00:20:58.960 --> 00:21:01.640 crucial to these final shows she'd assist him 00:21:01.640 --> 00:21:03.980 on stage and the sources say she would actually 00:21:03.980 --> 00:21:06.160 take over parts of the ass when he got too fatigued 00:21:06.160 --> 00:21:09.180 to continue Wow. So the audience is watching 00:21:09.180 --> 00:21:10.880 him struggle, watching his partner literally 00:21:10.880 --> 00:21:12.779 prop him up and help him finish the show. That's 00:21:12.779 --> 00:21:15.640 a whole new level of vulnerability for a guy 00:21:15.640 --> 00:21:18.500 known for manic energy. It really is. The invincible 00:21:18.500 --> 00:21:21.339 facade was gone, replaced by this incredibly 00:21:21.339 --> 00:21:23.559 human struggle right there under the spotlights. 00:21:23.779 --> 00:21:26.039 The audience wasn't just watching jokes and tricks 00:21:26.039 --> 00:21:27.680 anymore. They were witnessing his fight to keep 00:21:27.680 --> 00:21:30.420 going minute by minute. And his personal life 00:21:30.420 --> 00:21:33.160 details. Married twice, you mentioned. First 00:21:33.160 --> 00:21:35.559 to Sandra Bowing back in 95, divorced in 2000. 00:21:35.839 --> 00:21:39.400 Then Anastasia Sin in 2014. And he had a stepdaughter, 00:21:39.559 --> 00:21:42.019 Haley Kenyon. Right. And this whole dramatic 00:21:42.019 --> 00:21:45.559 story, the illness, the defiance, the comeback, 00:21:45.900 --> 00:21:49.180 it obviously captured public imagination. Because 00:21:49.180 --> 00:21:52.380 in 2019, not one, but two documentaries about 00:21:52.380 --> 00:21:54.960 him came out. Two separate films at the same 00:21:54.960 --> 00:21:57.799 time. Yep. The amazing Jonathan documentary landed 00:21:57.799 --> 00:22:01.150 on Hulu. And another one, always amazing. The 00:22:01.150 --> 00:22:03.430 true story of the life, death and return of Amazing 00:22:03.430 --> 00:22:05.970 Jonathan came out on YouTube. The fact that two 00:22:05.970 --> 00:22:08.309 different crews were simultaneously making films 00:22:08.309 --> 00:22:10.509 about him, that tells you how compelling his 00:22:10.509 --> 00:22:12.589 story had become. It wasn't just comic gets sick. 00:22:12.630 --> 00:22:15.170 It was this larger than life narrative of resilience 00:22:15.170 --> 00:22:17.450 and performance against all odds. Absolutely. 00:22:17.529 --> 00:22:19.910 He turned his mortality into a public narrative 00:22:19.910 --> 00:22:22.569 and people were fascinated. So after years of 00:22:22.569 --> 00:22:25.049 living on borrowed time, performing this extended 00:22:25.049 --> 00:22:28.619 final act, how did it end? He passed away relatively 00:22:28.619 --> 00:22:31.039 peacefully, actually. In his sleep, from the 00:22:31.039 --> 00:22:33.579 heart failure, at home in Las Vegas, February 00:22:33.579 --> 00:22:37.900 22, 2022, he was 63. 63 still feels young. It 00:22:37.900 --> 00:22:40.319 does. But he packed a lot into those years, especially 00:22:40.319 --> 00:22:43.779 the final ones. And despite everything, the gore, 00:22:43.779 --> 00:22:46.539 the chaos, the anti -magic stance, sometimes 00:22:46.539 --> 00:22:48.799 the traditional magic world did formally recognize 00:22:48.799 --> 00:22:50.960 him, didn't they? Yes, and this is really important. 00:22:51.400 --> 00:22:55.000 Back in 2007, near his peak, he received a special 00:22:55.000 --> 00:22:57.039 fellowship from the Academy of Magical Arts. 00:22:57.470 --> 00:23:00.170 The organization behind the Magic Castle? The 00:23:00.170 --> 00:23:02.769 establishment? Exactly. That special fellowship 00:23:02.769 --> 00:23:05.690 is a serious honor. It's given for outstanding 00:23:05.690 --> 00:23:09.009 contributions to magic as an art form. Getting 00:23:09.009 --> 00:23:11.250 that means the gatekeepers, the traditionalists, 00:23:11.269 --> 00:23:13.849 saw past the shock value. They recognized the 00:23:13.849 --> 00:23:16.750 skill, the control, the sheer dedication to performance 00:23:16.750 --> 00:23:19.730 that underpinned the whole crazy act. Precisely. 00:23:19.730 --> 00:23:22.190 It confirms he wasn't just a shock jock. He was, 00:23:22.390 --> 00:23:25.450 in his own unique way, a master of his craft. 00:23:25.869 --> 00:23:28.789 Hashtag tag O -U -T -R -O. So when we look back 00:23:28.789 --> 00:23:31.109 at this whole roller coaster of a career, what's 00:23:31.109 --> 00:23:32.569 the main thing we should take away? What's the 00:23:32.569 --> 00:23:34.769 distilled essence for you listening to this? 00:23:34.930 --> 00:23:38.269 I think the key insight is that the amazing Jonathan's 00:23:38.269 --> 00:23:41.069 real impact, his lasting legacy, wasn't about 00:23:41.069 --> 00:23:43.269 perfecting a card trick or creating the most 00:23:43.269 --> 00:23:45.769 baffling illusion. No, it was about mastering 00:23:45.769 --> 00:23:48.630 performance energy, that blend of shock, humor, 00:23:48.809 --> 00:23:51.690 chaos. But with perfect timing. Yeah, and that 00:23:51.690 --> 00:23:54.390 incredible ability to connect with an audience 00:23:54.390 --> 00:23:58.329 instantly. powerfully, often by making them incredibly 00:23:58.329 --> 00:24:01.289 uncomfortable. He built this enduring Vegas brand 00:24:01.289 --> 00:24:03.970 by breaking all the rules, by being the opposite 00:24:03.970 --> 00:24:06.430 of what you expected. Total subversion as a brand 00:24:06.430 --> 00:24:09.990 strategy. And it worked. And then there's a final 00:24:09.990 --> 00:24:13.109 act, that resilience. Taking a death sentence 00:24:13.109 --> 00:24:16.150 and turning it into more stage time, more life. 00:24:16.690 --> 00:24:18.589 Performing for years when doctors said he had 00:24:18.589 --> 00:24:21.069 months. He made the fight itself part of the 00:24:21.069 --> 00:24:23.230 show, didn't he? Yeah. The illness became the 00:24:23.230 --> 00:24:25.809 ultimate reveal, the rawest performance. That 00:24:25.809 --> 00:24:28.329 vulnerability in the end was maybe the most powerful 00:24:28.329 --> 00:24:30.549 part of his whole legend. Definitely. It added 00:24:30.549 --> 00:24:32.829 this whole other layer. Okay, so here's a final 00:24:32.829 --> 00:24:34.789 thought to chew on. Something provocative. We've 00:24:34.789 --> 00:24:36.670 talked about the gore, the Freddy Krueger thing. 00:24:37.960 --> 00:24:40.539 constant skewering of traditional magic. But 00:24:40.539 --> 00:24:42.779 this is the same guy who dedicated a special 00:24:42.779 --> 00:24:44.920 to the uncle who taught him his first simple 00:24:44.920 --> 00:24:47.579 card trick. And this is the same guy who received 00:24:47.579 --> 00:24:50.160 that high honor, the special fellowship from 00:24:50.160 --> 00:24:52.299 the Academy of Magical Arts, the most traditional 00:24:52.299 --> 00:24:54.940 institution imaginable. Right. It's a paradox. 00:24:55.279 --> 00:24:57.440 So what does that mean? Does it tell us something 00:24:57.440 --> 00:25:00.200 about art versus entertainment or maybe craft 00:25:00.200 --> 00:25:02.400 versus spectacle? It really makes you wonder, 00:25:02.480 --> 00:25:05.980 doesn't it? Did his absolute, unwavering commitment 00:25:05.980 --> 00:25:08.799 to just entertaining people, to holding that 00:25:08.799 --> 00:25:11.599 audience captive by any means necessary, however 00:25:11.599 --> 00:25:15.380 shocking or crude, did that sheer force of performance 00:25:15.380 --> 00:25:18.640 ultimately break through? Did it transcend the 00:25:18.640 --> 00:25:21.559 genres he loved to mock? Maybe his greatest trick 00:25:21.559 --> 00:25:23.680 wasn't making an eyeball hang out, but making 00:25:23.680 --> 00:25:26.539 the stuffy, serious magic world acknowledge that 00:25:26.539 --> 00:25:28.960 what he was doing, this chaotic, messy, hilarious 00:25:28.960 --> 00:25:32.480 thing, was also a form of real magic. Yeah. Maybe 00:25:32.480 --> 00:25:34.880 true magic is just about creating that spell 00:25:34.880 --> 00:25:37.400 over an audience, holding them completely. And 00:25:37.400 --> 00:25:39.299 maybe the method, however unconventional, doesn't 00:25:39.299 --> 00:25:41.519 matter as much as the effect. Something to think 00:25:41.519 --> 00:25:44.079 about, definitely. Was the chaos actually the 00:25:44.079 --> 00:25:45.220 ultimate expression of skill?