The Amazing Randi, magician and skeptical crusader devoted to debunking the supernatural, dies at 92

Randall James Hamilton Zwinge, better known as James Randi or worldwide as The Amazing Randi, lived a magical life for 92 years, performing magic stunts but debunking those who claimed to be supernatural.

Randi died Tuesday. His educational foundation announced his death, but did not provide details. In recent years, he’d been treated for cancer and heart problems.

Though he was born in Canada, Randi called South Florida home. Born and raised in Toronto, he dropped out of school and joined a carnival to do magic tricks.

“Well, born but not completely raised there,” he said in a 2015 interview with the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

“I don’t think I’ve been raised yet. I’m only 86," he said then. "I’ve got time.”

He was known as the ‘magician’s magician,' although he preferred the term conjurer. And later on in his career, investigator. He spent decades exposing those who claimed to have supernatural powers, the very charlatans who practiced the trickery Randi had perfected.

He had a long-standing offer, that grew from $10,000 to $1 million, for anyone who could prove they truly had psychic abilities.

When Randi wasn’t freeing himself from straitjackets over Niagara Falls or appearing on “The Tonight Show” — he was a guest of Johnny Carson 32 times — he played the foil to alleged psychic Uri Geller in a well-televised feud.

He had also, in no particular order, won a MacArthur Foundation genius grant; decapitated Alice Cooper with a prop guillotine during one of the shock rocker’s concerts (he survived); and, in the late 1980s, went on the warpath against hoodwinking mystics who claimed to channel 1,000-year-old deities.

“I want to be remembered as somebody who saw that the conjurers were often misunderstood and that they should not be looked upon as somebody who really has some sort of magical power or supernatural powers and I think that should be made very plain,” he told the Sun Sentinel. “Many of the magicians work, conjurers work, as mentalists which seems to be an effect that takes place with the mind only.”

In the 70 years he performed magic, he spent 40 of those years as a skeptical crusader, debunking faith healers, spoon-bending mentalists and psychics.

In 1976, Randi was one of the founders of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims Of the Paranormal (CSICOP), which evolved into the Center for Inquiry and promotes science education, secularism and reason.

“He is one of the influential figures in the history of skepticism,” said Kendrick Frazier, editor of the Skeptical Inquirer. Frazier compared Randi to the famed 20th century magician Harry Houdini, also famous for debunking supernatural claims. “He was a magician. He knew how to detect deception, and he was determined to expose it. He did so with intellect, with unparalleled ferocity, and with more than a little bit of humor.”

Celebrity admirers took to Twitter to express their condolences.

“Man didn’t suffer fools,” said comedic actor Michael McKean, best known for his roles in “Laverne & Shirley,” “This is Spinal Tap” and “Better Call Saul.”

“Goodbye to the truly Amazing James Randi, our inspiration, mentor and dear friend. We will love you forever,” said magician Penn Jillette of Penn & Teller.

In his later years, Randi was the featured guest of a monthly gathering of Broward atheists and agnostics, regaling small groups with stories of his debunking of supernatural claims. The meetings ended last year, as Randi’s health deteriorated.

Sun Sentinel staff writers Wayne K. Roustan and Phillip Valys contributed to this report.

Brooke Baitinger can be reached at: bbaitinger@sunsentinel.com, 954-422-0857 or Twitter: @bybbaitinger

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