In 1974, Brian Gillis was working in Knoxville, TN at a place called Barney Googles. He could knock people off their barstools with his magic. He was the best Close Up performer I had ever seen. At that time I did mostly street magic with larger props. I taught Brian my Mongolian Pop-Knot routine and the Comedy Four Ring Routine.

He taught me to steal a watch (Carlyle) and took me to Buffalo and introduced me to Eddie Fechter. I learned most of his close up act, and when I first moved to California in 1975, he began doing my stage routines in a medicine show at Silver Dollar City, while I was making a living in Los Angeles mostly off his close up magic.

Brian was one of the nicest people and best magicians I ever knew. He passed away earlier this year. A huge loss to magic.