Entertainment
Sword swallower Johnny Fox dies of cancer at age 64
Johnny Fox (Photo by Luke Gordon from Greenwood Lake, NY, USA – http://www.flickr.com/photos/11504096@N08/1779621912/, CC BY 2.0)
NEW YORK — A sword-swallowing magician who presented his quirky art form to enthusiastic audiences around the world has died.
Johnny Fox died Sunday in Maryland.
He was 64.
A close friend, Barbara Calvert, says Fox died peacefully, with a smile, while surrounded by loved ones who gave him a standing ovation.
The president of the Maryland Renaissance Festival, Jules Smith, says Fox performed there through October despite being ill.
His haunts included New York, where he ran an oddity-filled museum called Freakatorium for 5 1/2 years. He was also a beloved fixture in Brooklyn’s Coney Island arts scene.
A celebration of his life will be held at a later date in Maryland.
