Thanks to all who have sent me private messages about David. I wrote a piece about him, which will appear in the March issue of Genii magazine.
Many may not have heard this wonderful interview by David Roth, which touches on several topics. I hope you give it a listen
https://youtu.be/BKyfp-ZS1mk

Thanks to Gregg Webb and everyone else for their remembrances in this thread. Your posts are greatly appreciated and have only raised my considerable admiration for Mr. Roth and his contributions to magic.

RIP

One other thing I forget to mention is David's ease at travelling all around the world to do lectures. I don't travel and am afraid of planes and all the passport details and all..trusting someone to show up at the airports to take him to the lecture, etc. David admired John Ramsay's ability to do that type of thing. Also, think of the nerve to go on Dave Letterman's show after how he mistreated K-Mar. I don't know if everyone realizes that they had a negotiation with Letterman that David wouldn't appear if Letterman was even there. I think originally they wanted Letterman to leave the stage while David performed..but then Letterman promised not to try to ruin the act. I would have been so stressed I couldn't perform if it had been me but David Roth seemed to take it all in stride. That alone says a lot.

I remember when my La Famiglia brother, Rannie Raymundo got David Roth & Doc to visit Manila in the Phillipines years back now. He was so proud that they took the time to visit and promote coin magic down that part of the world to his magic club there. 😊

It was a great trip. Here is a recap:
https://youtu.be/9LVho52UwjY

Wow that was great to see. Did they speak English down there? Also, is this the time they were going to arrest you for trying to take Phillipine coins out of the country, but then the judge remembered seeing you on TV and let you off? David told me about this.

Haha,yes, but that's not the EXACT story. As we were leaving for Japan, I got stopped and had to show my money belt, which was under my clothes and contained the Philippine currency I had. We had planned to exchange it once we got to Japan. David went right through without a problem. They surrounded me and were going to confiscate all of my money, but then one of the guards recognized David and me from the TV spot we did at the beginning of that clip. I showed them all some coin tricks, and instead of confiscating all of my money they escorted me back through security to an exchange booth where I was able to exchange the money. Coin magic has gotten me out of trouble a few times, but those are stories for another day.
And yes, everyone speaks english. They even had half dollars that were made in Philippine currency because at one time they were a US territory.

Ah, currency. Hey, I think David used to work out his anecdotes on me. This morning I was wondering about whether it was in Japan, but the video looked just like I envisioned it when David told me about the trip. I also remember him telling me about the long flight. I don't fly. But that's half-way around the world.

Thanks, Michael, for the Blue Crown interview link.

Was Roth smoking a cigar at the end of the Manila video? Great stuff in that video!

Yes

I am so sad to be reading this today. I came on to see what everyone has been up to. I have been away a long time.
David Roth was my coin hero. When I watch his VHS tapes many moons ago those were what got me into coin magic. To me, he was on a totally different level than what I was used to seeing. I wanted to be like him. Smooth as silk.
I told myself one day I will meet David and show him how he has influenced me on my approach to coin magic.
Then life got into the way and I put all my attention into my career and stepped away from my magic for the time being.
If I can give a tip to anyone. Don't wait and say I will do this or that next week, month, or next year. Tomorrow is not a guarantee. Life is short and it will fly by before you know it.
RIP David Roth. You have touched so many lives. You live on in our memory, through your writings, through your videos, through your work.

Michael Rubinstein,
My deepest condolences.
Tim

Thanks Tim, still processing this. Currently working with his manager and sister to get his stuff taken care of. Every coin magician today owes a debt of gratitude to David for the way he elevated coin magic to another level. And glad to see you back, and posting. Hope all is well!

Tim couldn't have said it better. David turned coin magic on it's head and back again.

I just remembered another Roth anecdote. He told a lot of anecdotes about other magicians. I'm trying to remember anecdotes about him. David, in the 70's, used to say often..."Magic is going to be the Rock of the 80's". I don't know if it ever got quite that big, but there was certainly more activity than before. We all believed it. We all behaved as if it was going to happen.

Here is a video tribute I made for David. This was hard to make, but this was the David that I knew. He was a genius with coins, an innovator, an inventor. But most of all, he was a friend.
https://youtu.be/GYW5ZZNvR7c

Great tribute. Thanks Michael. Was that an oboe in the music accompaniment? Very thoughtful.

I got thinking about David's reaction when one of the biggies or a member of out group "passed", such as The Professor, or Derek, or Geoff, or Ken Krenzel, or Allen Greenberg, I hope I didn't forget somebody; he'd say to me "...and we're next." And so, Michael, and I always liked David's use of dark humor in these circumstances, I say to you, "...and, we're next."

I forgot to mention Herb Zarrow. Anyway, I remembered another David Roth anecdote from the early days. After doing something, he'd say "That's just a small sample of the carnival-lke atmosphere I'm able to create around myself." And then he stopped using that line, as I recall.

I tried to find a soulful melody that contained an oboe. I hope that I succeeded as I can't tell my clarinet from my oboe...
I heard so many Roth stories, and I used to be him to put them into a book. He was excited to do the a Roth Remembers series, and I helped him think of some of the stories he told. Unfortunately he only recorded a few, and a lot of the stories are now lost. I don't remember that line, sounds like early David. Older David was much more mellow.