Anyone have a biography of Chappy Brazil?

Dai Bato

Here you go daibato,

RIP Chappy.

geoff.

By Joe Schoenmann
Review-Journal

Mourners gather at a memorial service that uses music, poetry and magic to pay tribute to magician Anthony Brazil.

They gave Anthony "Chappy" Brazil a minute-long standing ovation Wednesday afternoon, and though the young magician wasn't there in person, the more than 200 people who wept, laughed and applauded his short life were sure he was there in spirit.
"I definitely think he heard you," laughed Brazil's friend, Anthony Vaughan, who was master of ceremonies for the two-hour service.
So went a stirring ceremony at Caesars Palace that used music, magic and video montage to eulogize Brazil, 33, who died Saturday morning in an accident involving a Las Vegas police vehicle.
Brazil was riding his motorcycle on Industrial Drive around 12:43 a.m. when he was hit by a black-and-white squad car driven by Las Vegas police officer Edward Jones. Jones, 35, has been put on paid leave pending the outcome of an investigation of the accident.
Police have so far said that Jones, on his way to an emergency, was going faster than the posted 35 mph speed limit, crossed the center line when he hit Brazil and left no skid marks. Jones told police that he had also activated his siren and emergency lights.
But attorney Ed Bernstein, retained by Brazil's family, said after Wednesday's service that a witness has come forward who could dispute Jones' account. Bernstein said the witness saw a speeding squad car near the time and location of the accident, but its emergency lights and siren were not on.
While the details of the accident and Brazil's death may one day be the focus of legal action, Brazil's life was the focus of the hundreds who mourned him in the Florentine Ballroom.
The start of the ceremony was truly "Las Vegas." Magician Scott Hitchcock walked before the crowd, lighted some props and began to swallow and use his mouth to play with flames.
A video montage set to music and displayed on a large screen followed. It showed Brazil marrying his wife, Lorena, and performing magic. A short clip evoked laughter, showing Brazil on the Strip doing everything he could to get attention -- even offering money -- to people who did everything they could to ignore him.
"Madame, would you be so kind as to stop dead in your tracks, right now," he says to one woman.
One of the most stirring moments came when three friends combined music, poetry and magic to demonstrate life's travels, the confusion and chaos on the way, and the clarity that can result. While Michael Ray played a flute tune on an electric keyboard, and Ron Keck read poetry, Charles Bach mixed green, blue and red powder in a bowl of clear water.
As Keck ended the poem, Bach reached into the bowl and pulled dry blue powder, then green, then red.
"Clear the way for you to fly home," Keck said, as Bach vigorously swirled the water that once again turned clear.
The three men then hugged and wept as the audience gave them a standing ovation. "We love you!" Keck yelled to the ceiling.
Brazil's mom, Virginia Brazil, from Florida, Va., told how the outpouring of love at the service made her "more proud of him than ever."
Brazil's show business trademark was his ability to steal watches. Magician Lance Burton spoke about how Brazil took his watch -- "He made a very big impression on me" -- then volunteered to teach Burton his technique at the Magic Shop in the Monte Carlo.
"He was a very generous person, and for that we should all give thanks," Burton said.
Burton then upheld a gold wand, noting that for generations it has symbolized the gifts of the magician. But without the magician, "the wand is powerless, the wand is useless."
With that, he snapped the wand in half.
The service ended with Bach taking the watch off his wrist and smashing it with a rubber mallet.
Bach said later that the watch had special meaning to him, because on the night of Brazil's death, he had finished a videotape that he and Brazil put together, instructing magicians on how to steal watches.
Brazil was on his way to Bach's house to look at the video, Bach said, when he died.