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Steve Holt has been entertaining the family audience for over 37 years and has presented his performances on Entertainment Tonight television, PM Magazine, The Nashville Network and Cruise Lines. He mixes comedy with his magic and ventriloquism creating a comfortable atmosphere for the audience. Steve Holt's career began as a quiet young man in 1970 at the age of ten. He grew up in Rome, Georgia and is the son of William Donald Holt, a modest minister and house painter. His parents William and Virginia Holt were too poor to raise six children, therefore, Steve and his siblings spent their childhood in the Open Door Home Orphanage on Leon Street in Rome, Georgia near Elm Street Elementary School where Steve attended first through sixth grades. Early in school, he developed a love for drawing and many times was asked to paint large murals for his school. Later in 1978 at Coosa High School, he was selected out of 300 students as a Georgia Governor's Honor Finalist in Art and attended special art schooling in Dahlonega, GA. He was also selected as a Distinguished American High School Student. On Saturday mornings Steve and other boys from the orphanage would go to the Boys Club. There he met his best friend Wayne Jones. Together they would develop acts and perform at camps, parties, schools and wherever there was an audience. They would rehearse and present shows regularly. One day Wayne enlisted in the Army and spent six years in Germany. He would send magic information from a German Magic Shop to Rome, Georgia and later gave all his magic illusions to Steve. From this beginning, Steve built his large stage show. Each day after completing his school homework, Steve would practice magic and juggling and would watch for the mailman to deliver his Maher Home Study Course in Ventriloquism. He studied ventriloquism, voice throwing and magic for four years before performing publicly. In 1973 he and his older sister left the orphanage to live in a Foster Home in Garden Lakes just outside Rome, Georgia. The spiritual influence, guidance in Christian living and the compassion he learned from his foster parents, Sue and Wally Watts still effect and influence his decisions and development even today. This coupled with the skills he learned while working in the Mental Health field and with Special Education as a Support Teacher, made for a well-rounded psychology of life. Hence, his life-long study of the great performers of the Circus, Puppetry Arts and Magic Shows became reality and a dream come true. He emulated The Great Harry Houdini doing escapes from wooden crates, handcuffs and strait jackets and by trial and error, perfected some stunning illusions for his audiences. In High School he was a star on stage, but very quiet and reserved off stage and never boasted about his accomplishments. He read books about PT Barnum and Ringling Brothers Circus, Harry Houdini the Escape Artist, Howard Thurston the Magician, Kellar the Great, Charlie Chaplin, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy, WC Fields, Shari Lewis, Jerry Lewis, Lucille Ball and Harry Blackstone, Sr. One day in 1988 at an Abbott's Magic Get-Together in Colon, Michigan, Steve met Harry Blackstone, Jr., son of the famous magician, Harry Blackstone, Sr. and a friendship began. Many say Steve Holt resembles the late Blackstone, Jr. Currently, Steve Holt is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Magicians and The North American Association of Ventriloquists.
THE MAGIC TOUCH:
Holt’s love for children may have stemmed from his own childhood. In 1966 at the age of 6, Holt found himself living in an orphanage. When he was 8 years old, he was visited by a member of the community who brought him a gift. He was handed a cardboard box, and inside he found his first ventriloquist dummy. The stranger’s generosity didn’t end there as he spent time tutoring young Holt in the art of ventriloquism, and when Holt was 12 he graduated from the Maher School of Ventriloquism in Denver, Colorado through mail order lessons. Just one year later, in 1973, Holt left the orphanage to live with foster parents, taking with him the spark of interest in a craft that the kind stranger had instilled in him. Sue and Wally Watts were the type of parents who instilled in Holt a sense of caring about others. "Sue and Wally Watts were very instrumental in making me who I am." Holt says that they taught him to keep his performances clean and family oriented. And, Holt says, "So many people have sown seed in what I’m doing. Everything that I do is giving back." Although Holt learned a portion of his skills at the young age of 8, at the age of 19 he began performing. He toured with the International All-Star Circus out of Sarasota, Florida before spending two years on Tommy Scott’s Last Real Medicine Show out of Toccoa, Georgia. The experience propelled Holt into putting together his own show. He learned the skills of marketing and booking shows, and Holt joined a friend in creating The Miracles of Magic Show. They toured for 8 years, playing to "packed houses" at least 4 nights a week. The show was family oriented, catering to all ages, and it included small magic tricks as well as large stage illusions. Holt has even performed one of Houdini’s signature illusions, escaping from shackles and a padlocked trunk. While in Georgia, Holt was contacted by a young lady who was producing an educational program titled "Behind the Waterfall". Holt eventually came to South Carolina and married her. Holt and his wife Vickie now work as a team on many ventures. Holt’s act can be found throughout the area at venues ranging from private birthday parties to large community events. There is even the possibility that he will soon appear on nationwide television. Holt uses his magic for the betterment of the community, too, through various programs used to educate young people about drug use prevention and character education, and his "smart dummy" Rickey also speaks on his behalf to delighted children. Gayle Crabtree with the Spartanburg Parks and Recreation Department has opened opportunities for Holt in performing at city events as has Mayor Bill Barnett. Holt says that he hopes that he and his wife can be a part of the promotion of tourism in Spartanburg. Holt’s success in a craft that he loved from such an early age surprised many, even Holt himself. "I am sort of in awe. I get up everyday, I go to work, and it is a tremendous blessing to do this. I get a thrill out of seeing people smile." The feedback Holt receives is a great reward of his work. "It confirms that I’m doing the right thing." Holt’s strong Christian faith is a large part of his business, and he is eager to share his testimony to whomever would like to hear it. He is even a member of a worldwide organization named the "Fellowship of Christian Magicians". The group is cautious to keep the magic shows of members suitable for all ages, following careful codes of conduct for performances. Holt has also recently been tapped as a spokesperson for the Upward Basketball Ministries in Spartanburg, which allows him to travel to many states. Steve Holt has been given much through his life experiences and is grateful for all the blessings that he has. He knows that his life has encountered, at many times, divine intervention. As Holt says, "God works in mysterious ways." He feels that he has been led to a life of service through making people smile, and his ease in meeting others continues to lead him in a successful career. But, as Holt said, don’t think for a minute that it’s all about magic. "It’s not just magic. It’s a way of life."
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