Last Saturday, Scottish magic lost one of its best performers when Steve Hamilton (professionally known as Steve Lindsay) lost his battle against cancer. Steve was a busy professional performer who was able to perform for any audience, whether it be children at a party to corporate people at a trade show to magicians at a convention. He always had something to knock their (and our) socks off.

Steve was editor and publisher of "Profile", one of very few (if not the only) Scottish-based magazine purely devoted to Close Up Magic. During its 3-year run, its contributors ranged from some of his friends such as Roy Walton, Gordon Bruce and Peter Duffie to people who were more than willing to have their routines printed in small-circulation periodicals such as "Profile", including Jack Carpenter, Phil Goldstein and Aldo Colombini.

He was also always more than willing to share information with other magicians, whether it be with a move or recommending a book – as long as you were willing to put in the required work.

If I may indulge you with a personal story about Steve’s generosity and willingness to share.

I will forever be in Steve’s debt for recommending “Stars of Magic”. At the time, I was a poor student and not far along this “Royal Road To Card Magic” – in fact, I had only just completed the “Royal Road” itself. One day not too far from Christmas, whilst standing in Roy Walton’s shop in Glasgow, Steve and I got talking about most things magic. I asked for a book recommendation and he asked “have you got ‘Stars of Magic’?” I said “no, what is it?” – remember, I was young and clueless back then! He then promptly took out a deck of cards and performed Vernon’s “Ambitious Card” straight out of the book – a routine that he used professionally for many years. Needless to say, Steve blew me away with that effect and the book was straight onto my Christmas wish list. When I received it on Christmas morning, I opened up the book and doors started to open as I read effects such as Vernon’s “Triumph” and Carlyle’s “Card To Pocket”, as well as “Ambitious Card”. If it hadn’t been for that one recommendation, I am almost certain that I would still be as clueless now as I was then.

Steve, thank you for your recommendation and thank you for all the help and advice you passed on over the years. We will all miss you!

Peter
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Thanks for sharing that story with us!

Best regards
David