I've searched a bit and didn't see a thread quite like this one I'm starting, so...

One of the great things about attending the Abbott's Get Together during the 70s, 80, and 90s was seeing all of the "old timers" together. (Dick Oslund was a regular there and has shared a number of memories here in this forum.) Hearing all the old names has been great! For those that were regulars at the Get Together in those days, who are all the magicians you can remember that used to be regulars there (not even necessarily regular performers)? (I know there's an "all time performer" list on their website, but I don't remember most of THEM. http://magicgettogether.com/performerdatabase.html)

I'll start with:

Harry Blackstone Jr. (Obviously)
Neal Foster
Karrell Fox
Ab Dickson
Sid Lorraine
The Conklins
Jay Marshall
George Shindler

Then, of course... there's the "not so old timers" like:
Jeff Hobson
Lance Burton
Chris Jakway

It is spelled Abb Dickson.
I have been working backstage for about 30 years so I have seen and been around most of them. It is a family. There is no other way to describe it. A lot of the names will mean nothing to a lot a people but they all mean a lot to me. When I went through a divorce and things were being fought out in the courts, it was written into the temporary orders that my son could attend Abbott's with me. That is how strong I feel about it.
Here are a few names that come to mind:
Al the Only,
Jeff Bibik,
Suzy Wandas
Ann Gywnne
Howard Flint,
George Johnstone
Artie Kidwell
Bill Schmetak
Dorny
Sid Lorraine
Bruce Postgate
Wayne Burchell
Connie Pelham
Wilma Reich
Monk Watson
Bill Watson
Marshall Brodien
Bill and Ce Joy
Marie Marshall
Recil Bordner
Greg and Debbie Bordner
Critter
Hank and Jackie Moorehouse
David Seebach
Stewart James
Kenny Miller
Jack Birdwell
Tom and Bernadine Zoss
Mac King
Peg Weikel
Dale Salwak
John and Maria Kurtz
Bill and Edith Brewe
Denny and Peg Metz
Gene Anderson

I think that is enough for now. I guess I have progressed into the old timer category myself. Remember how you always sat in the same chair. The only way you moved up was if some one went on to the big show in the sky.

Hey! Ya left out Duke and Karrell, and, Jay!!!

Dick

Denny Loomis...Clarke "The Senator" Crandall...Ed Marlo (in the fifties)...hey Dick, did Ralph Erlewine use to make the get-togethers? How about Milt Kort? Did he "go west" for these shindigs? Roy Kissell?

Richard... great adds, thanks! I know "Al the Only" personally... didn't really think of him as one of the "old timers"!
Bibik I remember... I bought a gimmicked deck routine he was selling at one of the get togethers - "The Generic Deck". Still have it.
Is Hank still alive?

Fool... don't know about the others, but Roy Kissell was definitely around. Knew him from around the Detroit area also.

Hank Moorehouse died several years ago.

Ralph Erlewine was a friend. I helped his widow dispose of Ralph's "garage full" of props, and books in 1988.

My old carnie pal, Roy Kissell was a regular, He made the "big jump" to the 'big lot" where the lot is always level, the sun always shines, and every day is a "red one", in 1988.

I don't remember Milt Kort being at the GTG. I only met Milt once. Karrell and I visited him in his home.

I didn't start attending the GTG until 1964, and, missed only a couple after that. --Usually, when I was with a circus or, managing a "GIRL TO GORILLA side show for Tim Deremer, or managing a Pig Racing Show (free act) playing fairs from coast to coast.


Gene Anderson, Wayne Burchell, Karrell Fox, Denny Loomis, and I (plus a "whole bunch" of others, including Doug Henning) usually stayed at the "CONKLIN YMCA" (!) Jerry usually hosted the Saturday Night party, that included all the folks who had been on the shows. I remember putting up the 20 x 30 top to "handle" the crowd.

Oh...Richard also "missed" Bob Lewis & Ginny, and Inez Blackstone (the "Banjo Phiend").

Duke was before my time.. Abb and Jay were mentioned in the first post so I did not repeat it.

Also Phil Wilmarth , Pete Tappan Jim Hanning and so many others.

I know I missed a bunch but I got tired of typing. Too many memories from too many years.

Roy and Karrell doing the thimble hearing aid was classic.

Inez would usually show up with someone who she had been staying with and then they would try to get her to go home with someone else.

I was just teasing you, Richard!

I have a VHS tape (dubbed from 8mm silent movie film) of the GTG when Edgar Bergen attended with Jim Sherman. Jerry Conklin loaned it to me a few years before he passed away. Lemme know if you would like it. Otherwise, I'll probably send it to Bob Lund's museum.

Dick and Richard... thanks for participating and sharing! While I realize that you guys must have deeper (and longer) memories of those years than I do, those GTGs were what cemented my love of magic!

Although they were much more involved (and talented) than I ever was, back then I associated with people like Al the Only, Steve Weikal, Todd Karr, Steve Biller. There were others, but my memory fades me. I love going back now and seeing the small groups of young magicians, wondering if that's what this group looked like way back when.

Dan

My wife and I met Inez Kitchen Blackstone while attending our first get-together 37 years ago and had lunch with her, then drove her to someone's house (don't remember whose house it was) so she could take a nap. That was also the first get-together that George and Nina Schindler attended and they have been back ever since.

A few of the "old-timers" not mentioned here that, I believe, are worthy of adding to the list are:

Earl Ray Wilcox, Warren Stephens, Romayne (spelling?), Mac King, Ali Bongo, Stewart James.....and the list goes on and on....

Romaine?

Yes, Romaine is certainly one of the fixtures. The last time he worked, Wilma Rench was still playing the organ before the shows (Thank Goodness). Well Romaine started his wonderful classic drunk manipulation act and his music started and then stopped after about 10 seconds. He restarted again to the same results. Finally, he motioned to Wilma who picked it up and played the rest of his act on the organ cold and live for him. Two real pros working together. It was a very memorable moment.
The problem...simple once we figured it out. Our cd player was hard wired but the new communication system interfered with it. Every time the stage manager would try to talk to the sound man, the cd player would cut out. It took us a bit to figure it out but we did. Meanwhile, Hank was not a happy camper to say the least.

Richard

Earl Ray Wilcox was one heck of a fine manipulator, too!

One of the joys of going to Abbott's all of these years is getting to know these magicians and picking their brains. So many have left us....it's actually somewhat depressing to see so many old friends pass away.

Earl was a very good friend--and, yes a darn good sleight of hand man, too.

I showed him John Cornelius' "Poor mans's "Pavel" knot". He flipped!

Dick:

It breaks my heart to think of so many of my fine friends in Magic whom I met at the Abbott's get-togethers over the years who are no longer with us. Having said that, some of the most treasured memories of my life are of the times I spent with them....

And, one of the highlights of going to Abbott's, for me at least, was in "fooling the heck" out of Marshall Brodien every year with a trick or two when he was well. I got a charge out of "fooling Marshall badly!"

Of all the magicians I have met and have come to be friends with whom I met at Abbott's, Karrel Fox was the one who would ALWAYS take time to take me aside and show me something special. And he did that year after year after year.........

I know we all tend to "wax emotionally" over these special moments at Abbott's but that's OK..........its very hard to try and to describe to someone who has never been there what a rich experience it is being there and spending quality time with "the brethern".

I allready know that Jahal is going to ask me...."where's Dick?" when I see him and Heather this coming August.

Great post!... thank you for sharing! I wish I had kept up my annual trips to Colon once "real life" took over my life. Glad I'm back at it, though!

Yeah! I first met Romaine when I worked that TORONTO CONVENTION. back in the early '80s.

He had "good hands" --and, knew how to use them, eh!

Although I did not know any of the Get-Together regulars personally, I spent a lifetime in Arkansas hearing of many of them through the magic community, as well as spending my childhood (and adulthood) memorizing the Abbott catalog. Now the Get-Together is an annual pilgrimage for me and my teenage son, Max. A wonderful town, wonderful people, and a fascinating history. One of my highlights was having Mr. Oslund sign his book for me! We are heading north again in just two weeks to lovely Colon and can't wait!

I have missed a few years, but Rick Morein and I will drive down together this year!

Rick and I have "bought the privilege" and we'll have a table in the showroom. Both of us are "thinning out" the props that have accumulated over the years. Mine are mostly small stuff. When I was on the road, I always carried "back ups". (There aint no magic shops in Zap, North Dakota! --Yes, I played there!!!)

I'll have a bunch of my books ("Road Scholar") and some dvds of my school assembly program, too.

I'm looking forward to cutting up a few jackpots with old friends--AND, making some new friends, too.

See ya "down the road"!

Hey! We've neglected to mention that kid from Canada! (DOUG HENNING!) I tell the story of Doug's first GTG in my book.

Bob Lewis, and Ginnie (with his "banyo", as Okito always pronounced it, was one of the reg'lars,too.

I imagine that, if we sat down and, did some more reminiscing, we could add another dozen names!

>>>rocky! stop by Rick's and my table next week!

Richard<<< I'll bring that old GTG tape!