Roy Huston

(Kenneth Roy Husted)

Kenneth Roy Husted (Roy Huston) was born November 11, 1940. Roy was born into a vaudeville family and began performing on stage at an early age.

Huston’s mother, known professionally as Rita Raye, a dancer taught young Roy to tap dance, which he performed on stage with his mother. His father was a drummer and taught Roy to drum, Roy became one of the best show drummers in the business. One of Roy’s first solo acts was as a ventriloquist.

Huston began performing illusions on stage and soon took out his own very successful magic show. Roy also operated “Spook Shows” that usually started at midnight, preceding scary movies in theaters. which he toured from coast to coast. 

He combined shows with Bill Neff, who’s show he eventually purchased. He would drive a hearse from drive-in to drive-in to where a movie would come to life and ghosts would appear while performing his illusions such as the “Man Buried Alive”

In 1967 Roy starred in the motion picture “The Magic Land of Mother Goose” in the role of “Merlin the Magician”. In 1968 he appeared in the movie “Moonshiner’s Woman”.

In 1981 and 82 Huston starred in Ward Hall’s “Cavalcade of Magic”, which performed in the U.S. under canvas.

On September 27, 1993, Roy married Yuka Darlene Allen.

Not only was Huston an avid stage performer, but he was also a magic historian. Over his years on the road, Roy acquired one of the largest private collection of magic props, posters, scenery and magic memorabilia in the United States. He had over 40 tons of props, many he made himself.

Kenneth Roy Husted (Roy Huston) passed away on June 28, 2009, in Gibsonton, Florida and is buried in Colon, Michigan

A friend remembered Roy Huston as A great drummer, dancer, and illusionist. I remember riding around Martinsville, Indiana in his nosed, decked, chopped, channeled and primered ’50 ford. He was “Fonzie” only 10 times cooler. Not to mention the motorcycle he rode standing on the seat. The curtain is closing on the cast from those ’60s years but it was a fun run.

Le