Today I’m thankful that I knew Fred “The Great Scott” Donaldson.

Fred, and his wife Judy, owned Scott Magic Company in Austin, TX.

It was a tiny shop in the garage behind their house and the very best thing in the shop was The Great Scott.

He was always there to lend a good listening ear to the aspiring magician, he talked me out of buying more tricks than he probably sold me, and he was a staunch supporter of the Austin Magic community. Many, many Austin magicians owe a great debt of gratitude to Fred Donaldson over the years.

He helped me learn how to build props and cases on a budget, and when he and Judy retired I even put a part of their show into mine – their giant “Card thru Neck” illusion, which I still perform as a homage to my friend and my mentor.

I’m fortunate to have had an influence like Scott (and Judy) in my magic career and in my life.

The Great Scott passed away nearing on 10 years ago now, but there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t use some bit of knowledge that was gifted to me during the 15 years that I knew him.