Here is the biography of David Copperfield:
David Copperfield, born David Seth Kotkin on September 16th, 1956, in Metuchen, New Jersey, USA, is an American magician and illusionist. He is the first living illusionist to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which he won on April 25th, 1995, for the category "Live Performance" and the address is 7021 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California, USA.
Copperfield's parents were Hyman Kotkin, a Jewish immigrant from Russia, and Rebecca Kotkin, a Jewish immigrant born in Jerusalem, Israel. He was an only child and grew up in Metuchen, New Jersey. He was a shy and lonely kid who overcame his insecurity with the help of magic. He initially wanted to become a ventriloquist, but after buying a magic trick at Macy's, he decided to become a magician instead.
At the age of 10, Copperfield began practicing magic in his neighborhood with the stage name "Davino the Boy Magician." At 12, he was invited to join the Society of American Magicians, becoming its youngest member ever, and began performing professionally. At 16, he was an adjunct professor at New York University, teaching a course called "The Art of Magic."
Copperfield's career in magic began in the 1970s, when he performed in various shows and TV specials. In 1976, he appeared on television for the first time in "Magic at the Roxy," a TV special dedicated to magic and filmed at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1977, he made his "official" debut as an illusionist conductor of "The Magic of ABC," a variety TV special.
In the 1980s, Copperfield's TV specials became increasingly popular, and he began to break new ground with his illusions. In 1981, he vanished a 7-tonne Lear Jet airplane surrounded by a ring of blindfolded spectators, and in 1983, he performed the "illusion of the century," the disappearance of the Statue of Liberty.
Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Copperfield continued to create new and innovative illusions, including "Walking Through The Great Wall Of China," "Escape From Alcatraz," and "Tornado Of Fire." He also created a Broadway show, "Dreams and Nightmares," which opened at the Martin Beck Theatre in 1996.
In 1991, Copperfield purchased the Mulholland Library of the Conjuring and the Allied Arts in Las Vegas, Nevada, to found The International Museum and Library of the Conjuring Arts, which houses the world's largest collection of historically significant magic memorabilia.
In the 2000s, Copperfield continued to create new illusions, including "Musha Cay and the Islands of Copperfield Bay," a private island paradise in the Exumas, Bahamas, which he developed into a unique platform for creating his newest wonders. He also became a father in 2010, when his girlfriend, Chloe Gosselin, gave birth to their daughter, Sky.
Throughout his career, Copperfield has been recognized with numerous awards and accolades, including the Living Legend award from the United States Library of Congress, the Magician of the Year award from the Academy of Magical Arts, and the Magician of the Millennium award from the International Federation of Magic Societies. He has also been featured on the cover of numerous publications, including Vanity Fair, Esquire, Forbes, and Architectural Digest.
