Thompson, Johnny (1934 - 2019) and Pam (1936 - 2021)

Thompson, Johnny (1934 - 2019) and Pam (1936 - 2021) was an American comedian and Las Vegas illusionist who performed under the stage name The Great Tomsoni with his wife, Pamela Hayes. "The Godfather of Magic." Known as the Great Tomsoni & Co., he and his wife Pam performed around the world. He was a consultant to many of the top magicians. Sec 7; Row 20; # 6

JOHNNY & PAM AT THE 1992 ABBOTT GET TOGETHER
The Great Tomsoni plus mentalism from Johnny & Pam.

JOHNNY & PAM AT THE 2008 ABBOTT GET TOGETHER
Johnny performed, lectured, and did the closeup show that year!

JOHNNY & PAM PROMOTIONAL PICS
Johnny & Pam once toured in a play with Bob Crane (Hogans Heroes) for 12 weeks.

Everyone has their favorite magician. I'd like to tell you about mine. John Thompson.

John's background is as varied as the hues of the color-changing plumes! While still a very young man, he made his initial mark in show-business in the field of music. His instrument was the very unusual bass harmonica, and he appeared with such famous groups as Johnny Puleo's Harmonica Gang, and the equally famous Harmonicats, and Harmonica Jazz Quartet. With these groups, he not only toured all over the country as a performer, but also became a musical arranger for these groups.

To add to his theatrical skills, he started acting with various stock companies, and has played many supporting and leading roles in both dramas and comedies. Earlier this year, John and his beautiful, and equally talented actress wife "Pam," toured 12 weeks with a play staring Bob Crane of televion's "Hogan's Hero's" fame.

Since he was a youngster, magic has always been part of his life. He developed an original and beautiful act, in which he is billed as Poland's leading magician, "The Great Tomsoni." He strolls onstage impeccably dressed in tails, but wearing one brown shoe, one black shoe, and to make it even worse, WHITE SOCKS! Although it's a very, very funny satirical act, the magic he does is superb. Excellent dove productions, and the best dove to silk I've ever seen are featured. If you attended last years S.A.M. convention, in Boston, you saw John's Polish act, and I'm sure you agree with me that it's a comedy masterpiece. No doubt this is due in part to the old axiom that "a magician should be an actor playing the part of a magician." This is exactly what John is. Onstage he becomes a "puzzled Polish Prestidigitator."

The foregoing would certainly be enough talent for one person, but John's skills just START there. A few years back he got into the exacting field of industrial and trade shows. He did very well at it and rapidly rose to the top ranks of performers who work these shows. It followed naturally that he would get into the cream of this work, the AUTO SHOWS. John does dove productions, and his "dove to silk" on these shows. He stands on a platform barely big enough to hold him, practically surrounded by the audience and within two feet of them. This is innovational magic to say the least, and it's a tribute to John's talents that he fool's 'em even under these far from best conditions. His knowledge of comedy is unlimited, and he could do a complete act of standup comedy, WITHOUT any magic (by the way, he DOES DO this in the autoshow dressing rooms).

He was featured doing comedy skits in addition to his "Polish" act with a review that played the "Playboy" club circuits and had an unprecedented 11 month run at the Playboy Club in New York. His skill with cards and close-up is vast, and in my opinion, he's one of the top ten close-up performers in this country. Add to all of this, John's excellent knowledge of illusions, and you'll know why, when John and I work together on an auto or trade show, that we never get much sleep. We gab about magic all of the time.

If my good friend John Thompson appears in your area, try to stop by and meet him. You'll find him a nice, friendly, talented guy who really has his head on straight when it comes to the performing and the BUSINESS side of the multifaceted art of Magic!