I’m not really sure how to start. When Shari called me and asked me to speak at Tim’s memorial service, I have to admit I was more than a little afraid. I didn’t really know exactly what to say. I didn’t have all of those charming childhood stories to tell. And everybody already knows what a great magician Tim’s was. So I was thinking about it. Then Mike called me and told me, “Don’t worry about the time. Just try not to go over 15 minutes.” Mike don’t worry, I don’t think I will have any problem keeping it under 15 minutes.
Anyway, as I was sitting around trying to come up with something to say, I was reading though books of parables and proverbs from different cultures when one really stood out and captured my attention.
“When the student is ready to learn the teacher will appear.”
That is exactly what Tim was for me, he was my teacher.
Tim taught me a deep respect for the art of magic. He taught me how to succeed in the business of magic. And he taught me how to be a good friend.
I had first heard of Tim Conover from Scotty York. Scotty told me that if I really wanted to get serious about magic, Tim would be a good person for me to meet. I later learned a little about Tim and how good he was from several other magicians. Needless to say I wanted to meet him, but the problem was that Tim had a reputation for being a little reclusive. At some point Mike Sears arranged for me to be introduced to Tim.
At that initial meeting we talked about magic a great deal. It wasn’t the audition that I kind of expected. Tim just wanted to know what I thought about magic and performing. At some point during the conversation, I told Tim, “You don’t have to show me any of the tricks in your show and I won’t ask. But I do need your help in putting together my show.” Or something to that effect. Tim didn’t say much, he just asked, “What are you doing tomorrow?”
From that point on we spent countless hours together. Often I would arrive at his house around 10:00 AM and stay until well after midnight. Tim didn’t sleep a lot. Tim would spend hours helping me come up with tricks that I could do and that I wanted to perform.
It was during this time that Tim instilled in me the need to appreciate the classics of magic. He told me that classic tricks were classics for a reason. People liked them! At that point in my development I wasn’t really interested in much of magic’s history. Tim changed that. He got me to read books by Ross Bertram, Francis Carlye, Al Koran, and many others. He instilled in me the need to appreciate magic’s history in order to give my show the depth that it needed.
Tim would come up with all kinds of stuff for me to try. Some of it worked…some of it didn’t. I remember one show particularly where I was invited to perform at a Mexican restaurant by some friends over Christmas. None of the tricks that Tim and I had come up with worked very well. There were all kinds of problems. Tim’s response was “better you than me!” as he was grinning from ear to ear the whole time. That’s OK though. I got even. That was the first night that Tim ate Menudo. Go look it up. It is a delicacy that requires a certain amount of intestinal fortitude.
Tim also taught me how to succeed in the Entertainment business. He made a few calls to agents to try to get me work. More importantly though he taught me how to find those agents on my own. Tim was a big believer in one particular book, “How to Master the Art of Selling” by Tom Hopkins. He insisted that I read it from cover to cover. I did. From that point on I was able to develop a business that allowed me to earn a living for almost 17 years doing what I loved.
Tim was also a perfectionist. I remember when Tim decided he needed to put together a promotional video. I had just finished mine with the help of a friend that owned a videographer company. As usual when Tim decided that he wanted to do something new, he went to Barnes and Noble and bought an armful of books on the subject. I’m pretty sure the CEO of Barnes and Nobles has a picture of Tim on his desk. Tim read the books over the next several days and then we went to edit the video.
This was in the days before digital video editing was widely available. Most folks still relied on the old A/B roll systems. Making changes and edits took a lot more time. Tim didn’t care how long it took. We spent hours and hours making sure every frame was just as he wanted it. I was exhausted.
Finally we came to the end of the tape. Every performer wants to end their promo video with shots of standing ovations. Tim was no different, but he did have a unique perspective on the matter. Tim didn’t want it to be, “In there face,” as he put it. I asked him why and he said something to the effect of, “I don’t want to toot my own horn.” I told him he had missed the bloody point of the whole exercise! He responded by saying if you’re good, they’ll know you are good. You don’t have to shove it in their face. Tim was right. We managed to use footage shooting the standing ovation from behind the crowd rather than the front. The result was just what Tim was looking for, and it was stunning.
Tim also taught me how to be a good friend. Tim led by example. Tim was always a good friend to others. Mike Sears, the local magician who introduced me to Tim, was living with Tim at the time. Mike was going through a particularly tough time and Tim was willing to help him get back on his feet. Tim’s brother Mike had decided to go back to graduate school. Tim was all to eager to help his brother achieve his goals. I myself was going through a particularly difficult time in my life, and Tim was there for me as well.
Tim always managed to make sure that his friends had what they needed. In my case, I couldn’t really afford many of the magic props I needed for my show. Somehow though, the magic shops and magic dealers always seemed to be willing to make me a deal on the stuff I needed. I’m pretty sure that is because Tim would make a few phone calls and work everything out without letting me know.Tim was the epitome of a cheerful giver. Tim derived great joy from all of the support and aid he gave to others.
Tim meant, and still means a lot to me. Without Tim’s help I would not have been able to achieve my dream of being a professional magician. In the process he made me a better person, and for that I will never be able to repay him.