Photo furnished
Local magician V-Roy in action.
•July 18, 2018•
By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress
Virgil Roy Hampton, V-Roy, was born in Lake City in 1906, but his family soon moved to a 42-acre farm in Bethany.
He became enchanted with magic at an early age and was earning such a good living from legerdemain that he quit high school just before graduating. He felt the diploma would not help him in his career.
By the end of that career he was considered the new Harry Houdini, but he actually patterned his act after Ed Reno whom he considered the best.
At just 20 years old, he hit the road in 1926 with the John Robinson Circus doing magic as a side show. He also played cornet in the circus band, and this sparked his interest in show business. A fine musician, he also played with the Bethany Concert Band and the Alfonzo Carnival Band.
In 1928 he made a parachute jump at the Moody airport in Dalton City. Such stunts were rare in those days, and it attracted a large crowd. He continued doing air stunts such as walking on the wings.
During the war he toured with the USO and also with bond rallies for the war. He was famous throughout Canada and central Illinois, and in the 1950s he did a 14-month tour of Europe. In 1943 V-Roy did over 200 shows in Illinois high schools. He did a lot of fairs in the U.S. and Canada, and his one regret was that he never played the Illinois State Fair. Read More
