Does anyone had information about Bill Sachs, who wrote a weekly "Magic" column in _Billboard_? You can see one of his columns at
http://books.google.com/books?id=hvUDAAA......&f=false

Did _Variety_ have a similar weekly column? And... Does someone still do a "Magic" column in _Billboard_?

----- Amado "Sonny" Narvaez

I did 21 years in radio and about the first 5 years is all we ever used Billboard. Most radio stations use R&R (Radio & Records) these days and have since the 80s.

Steve

Bill Sachs was born in 1905 and lived in Cincinnati all of his life. He was an Editor of The Billboard. Back in the 1910's, 20's, 30's and 40's, the magazine was the "bible" of outdoor show business (tent shows, carnivals, circuses and pitchmen.) "Variety" magazine was more high-tone and tended to be geared toward "legit" shows and vaudeville. Billboard also covered and reviewed vaudeville but tended to be a bit more sympathetic toward reviewing vaudeville acts (especially magicians) than was Variety. The Magic column (originally called "Magic and Magicians") went through several Editors through the years including William J. Hilliar, and later, Bill Sachs. I had contact with his son about 25 years ago shortly after I wrote my Jack Gwynne book. Gwynne was a good friend of Sachs and somehow I found his address and sent him a copy of the book. His son wrote telling me his Dad had received it and enjoyed it immensely. He mentioned that Bill was living in a retirement home at the time. I believe he died in the late 1980's. Most of his Magic columns are available on the http://www.askalexander.com database through Conjuring Arts.

Forgot to mention that the Magic column was discontinued in Billboard in the 1950's when the magazine made the shift to covering more pop music and recording artists than variety acts and outdoor attractions (which were covered by the magazine "Amusement Business.")

Billboard became a pubication exclusively for the music business in 1960. At that time their sister publications, Amusement Business told over covering circuses, carnivals and other forms of variety entertainment. I don't think they have a column devoted exclusively to magic.