Whit Haydn (b. 1949)Profile
Real NameWhitney Wesley Hadden Aliases Pop Occupation Magician, Confidence Artist, Entertainer Place of Birth Clarksville, Tennessee, USA Height 5' 10" Eyes Brown Hair Brown Abilities Whit Haydn possesses the ability of cunning deception. A master in all aspects of conjuring, Haydn is also an expert and teacher in the field of scamming and con games, such as Three-Card Monte, and the Shell Game. Interesting Fact Billy McComb, one of the world's brilliant minds in magic, became a dear friend, mentor and major influence on Haydn's career. McComb also encouraged Whit to change his last name to something easier to pronounce, thereby changing Hadden to Haydn.
Bio
Whit Haydn was born on July 19, 1949 in Clarksville, Tennessee. Haydn's first exposure to magic was at summer camp in 1959. 10-year-old Haydn witnessed a magic show performed by a Methodist minister.As the magician performed the "Chinese Linking Rings" trick, Haydn was perplexed in wonderment, and was hooked on magic ever since. Growing up in Greenville, North Carolina, Haydn met and befriended three local North Carolina magicians whom became mentors to the young magician. At age 14, Haydn convinced his parents to allow him to slip him a few bucks and take a bus trip alone to one of the foremost American magic conventions, "Abbott's Get Together" in Colon, Michigan. After graduating High School, Haydn attended college at East Carolina University in the 60s. He left college in 1969 due to his heavy involvement in the civil rights and anti-war movements. Later that year, Haydn started performing street magic in West Village, New York City. 
In 1970, he completed his college studies in Virginia, earning a degree in philosophy in 1972, after which he attending Virginia Theological Seminary to become an Episcopalian priest. Haydn continued to perform magic shows to help support himself while in school. Haydn soon discovered his passion for magic was much more prevalent than in the ministry, and in 1974, he dropped out of the seminary to pursue magic full-time. In the early 1970s, he worked as an actor, magician, juggler with a touring political theater, called "The Road Company." In the mid-1970s, Haydn joined the famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, California and has won 6 performing awards, including "Stage Magician of the Year" in 1979. He became Vice-President of the board of directors of the Academy of Magical Arts, (Magic Castle) in March, 2006. Haydn has opened for a variety of famous entertainers, including Jerry Seinfeld and Loretta Lynn, and was a magic consultant for many television documentaries and TV specials, including David Copperfield's "Mystery on the Orient Express."
In September, 1996, Haydn co-founded the "School for Scoundrels," which is a four-week course program held once a year at the Magic castle, teaching magicians, gambling professionals and law enforcement officers the history, psychology and methods of con games and street scams. Haydn currently lives in Los Angeles, California with his wife, Nancy. He is still the active Vice-President for the Magic Castle, and presents his own 1908 medicine show featuring a variety of magic, comedy and old time music. For more information, visit
Whit haydn's website.
|
