Johnny Lonn Story
1944-2013
Who was Johnny Lonn?
Who can better describe Johnny Lonn than his colleague John Houdi
(Watch the film 18 min)
Irené Lönnqvist
🎩 **From Tumtippen – Irené Lönnqvist on Life with
Björn "Johnny Lonn" Lönnqvist**
This is an excerpt from our society magazine Tumtippen, where Irené Lönnqvist shares memories of life with her husband,
Björn "Johnny Lonn" Lönnqvist.
❤️ A Word of Thanks
First of all, we want to thank Magiska Bröderna for honoring the memory of my husband — and father to John and Louise — for the sixth year in a row with this special day.
👶 Early Years
To begin at the beginning: Björn grew up in Bromma with his parents and younger sister.
If the saying "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" ever applied, it was here.
His father, Bengt "Löqen" Lönnqvist, was a legendary Linjeflyg captain — famous for his wild antics and wicked sense of humor.
Yes, he was completely mad… but in the most delightful way.
💃 How We Met
We met at the dance restaurant Alladin on December 22, 1974 — almost fifty years ago.
I was the one who asked him to dance.
He moved beautifully, and I soon learned he had competed in ballroom dancing — tails, bow tie, number on the back, the whole thing.
I've often thought of that when watching him perform: the way he glided across the stage, the soft footwork, the effortless rhythm.
All those dance lessons left their mark.
(A tip for anyone performing on stage: take dance lessons!)
🎭 Life with an Artist
Already then, I had to get used to life with an entertainer — someone who went to work just as I was going to bed.
His career had begun back in 1964 when he entered the Folkpark competition "New Faces at Skansen", apparently the same year as Anni‑Frid Lyngstad from ABBA.
🎩 The Road to Magic
Like many children, he received a magic set as a gift, but he wasn't particularly interested.
What fascinated him was ventriloquism, and he went to Swing's hobby shop on Sveavägen to buy a puppet.
There he met magician Bengt Bergöö, whose elegant magic completely captivated him.
Suddenly, magic was his thing after all.
This eventually led to Baden‑Baden and FISM 1970 — his international debut.
🌍 International Breakthrough
A German agent secured him a booking at a nightclub in Zürich.
Around that time, he adopted his stage name Johnny Lonn — "Björn Lönnqvist" wasn't exactly ideal for international posters.
When we met, he was performing at Chat Noir in Stockholm, together with scantily clad dancers.
One night he called home to ask if it was alright to bring "a few guys" over for a whisky.
Among them was none other than Dai Vernon, The Professor himself.
They sat up all night showing each other card tricks.
Björn treasured his copy of The Dai Vernon Book of Magic, especially the inscription:
"To a superlative artist, extremely amusing performer, with admiration — sincerely, Dai Vernon."
💍 Marriage & Travels
We married in 1978 and went to New York for our honeymoon.
He had been invited to a large convention north of the city — a special anniversary event hosted by Tannen's, the famous magic shop.
His first performance in the United States, in front of 3,000 people — overwhelming, but he was a hit, and received an invitation to the Magic Castle.
We continued to Los Angeles and met the wonderful Bill Larsen and his wife, my dear friend Iréne.
Bill's brother Milt ran The Variety Arts Theater downtown, and he booked Björn for several weeks the following year.
I took leave from work and joined him.
🌟 Artists & Encounters
The other performers included Vito Lupo, Ken Noyle & Yoko, and Mark James, who performed only with cigarettes — unimaginable today.
I know I'm mentioning names some of you may not recognize, but remember: this was 1979, and they were all stars.
At the top of the building was a bar where everyone gathered — not just the performers.
That's where I first met Max Maven, Mike Caveney, and Tina Lenert.
Tina was one of the first prominent female magicians, and she remains among the world's finest.
🎩 Sundays at the Magic Castle
According to the document, "På söndagarna var det ingen show, då träffades man för brunch på Magic Castle istället."
On Sundays there were no shows, so everyone gathered for brunch at the Magic Castle instead. They even had a specially printed menu designed like a newspaper on every table. It was quite amusing to read that "Johnny Lonn was in town" and performing at Milt's theatre.
The Monte Carlo Show was a TV program hosted by John Wayne's son. The booker told Björn that if his wife appeared in the act in any way, they would pay her as well — an offer too tempting to refuse. So they came up with a plan: she sat backstage with a small transistor radio, pressing buttons frantically at the exact moment the record player "crashed," pretending to trigger the sound effect.
As the document notes, "Otroligt pinsamt… speciellt eftersom sångerskan Cher stod bakom ryggen."
Cher was standing right behind her, waiting for her entrance, wondering what on earth she was doing.
The show aired on Swedish TV — thankfully without her in the frame.
✨ Travels with Doug Henning (1980)
Doug Henning reached out in 1980. He needed an opening act for his Midwest tour — a major opportunity, since Doug had his own American TV show, also broadcast in Sweden.
They spent a week each in St. Louis, Milwaukee, and Indianapolis.
In St. Louis, Swedish magician Tim Star suddenly appeared backstage — he lived in the city, which made the reunion even more fun.
Doug's production was enormous: a semi‑truck full of props, dancers, a personal chef, and even a tiger. As the document describes, "det var lite kul att titta ut från hotellrummet och se tigerskötaren valla tigern runt poolen."
Doug was warm, generous, and inclusive despite being The Big Star.
She returned home after three weeks; the tour continued to San Francisco. Doug later sold his entire act and moved to India. He passed away in 2000.
Björn met Siegfried & Roy many times in Las Vegas and found them delightful — but he never wanted to work with animals or large illusions.
As he put it: "En riktig gentleman skulle aldrig komma på tanken att såga en dam itu!"
🌍 Life in Paris and Atlantic City
In August 1980, Björn was booked at Olympia in Paris, alongside Vito Lupo and his wife Anne‑Marie. They enjoyed wonderful days in the city, and she noticed how small the magic world truly is — no matter how many years pass, everyone feels like family when they meet again.
They drove their little white Opel Kadett to Paris, planning to continue to the Alps for skiing. But when the evening wine suddenly tasted unpleasant, she suspected she might be pregnant — and she was.
In December, they packed again and travelled to Atlantic City, performing at Bally's Park Place Casino for two months.
Ken Noyle and Yoko — whom they had met at Milt's theatre — were the act Björn replaced. Yoko lent her a sewing machine and ironing board, which was perfect since she made her own clothes and now needed maternity outfits.
👶 Family Life on the Road
Behind the scenes, the cast became like a small family. They were kind and protective, especially since she was pregnant. Spending Christmas and New Year's together made it even more special.
Their first child, John, was born in April 1981. Only weeks later, they packed the Opel again and drove to Monaco, where Björn performed at Loews Casino. Their agent found them a beautiful apartment in Menton, right across from the Mediterranean.
After Monaco came a month in Paris, where Björn worked at Crazy Horse — the legendary nightclub with its famously scantily clad dancers. As someone joked, "barfota ända upp till hakan."
Finn Jon and the brilliant physical comedian George Carl also performed there.
The apartment near the Arc de Triomphe had a perfect location — but no refrigerator. Not ideal with a baby, but they improvised.
Later, Björn worked in Zürich for several months. Their "apartment hotel" turned out to be… a brothel. They stayed anyway.
👧 Louise Arrives & Returning to Sweden
Their daughter Louise was born in 1985. Björn increasingly wanted to work in Sweden. He performed in Hagge's Revue, at Intiman, and in countless TV programs — Loffe på Cirkus, Fint som snus with Bert‑Åke Varg (a dear friend), and many more.
He continued receiving invitations to magic conventions worldwide — Japan, China, South Korea — but now travelled alone while she stayed home with the children.
🎩 Friendship with Lance Burton
Björn and Lance Burton became close friends.
Once, in Las Vegas, Björn settled comfortably into his seat — shoes off, trousers unbuttoned — when Lance suddenly introduced him from the stage:
"My good friend Johnny Lonn from Sweden!"
A spotlight found him. He grabbed his trousers, stood up, and bowed.
Exactly the kind of moment he loved.
🎨 A Man of Many Talents
He was a trained photographer and shot trick photos for SMC's book Trolleri som hobby.
He also photographed the trick images for Den magiska kocken (2011).
From the early 1990s, painting took more and more of his time — oils and watercolours.
He created a circus‑themed series and received permission from Prince Rainier of Monaco to exhibit at the Circus Festival.
As the document notes, "prinsen med sin familj var där nästan varje kväll."
She herself was proudest of shaking hands with Ringo Starr.
🖼️ Portrait Artist & Exhibitions
Björn was an exceptional portrait painter.
His work hangs at the Boghammar shipyard, and he is represented at Tidö Castle, having painted Carl‑David and Catharina von Schinkel.
He held several exhibitions in Stockholm and even painted ceilings and walls at home — no craftsman was ever allowed inside.
🏡 The House in Hässelby
They bought their house in 1986. The façade was unpainted.
Björn built a three‑storey wooden scaffold around the entire house and painted it himself.
It took a year.
🧠 Depth, Curiosity & the Brain
Behind the humour was a deeply intellectual man.
While she read crime novels, he read quantum physics.
He studied anything that could improve his craft — not just magic.
He lectured as well, including in the university course "Rhetoric with PowerPoint", teaching body language, presentation skills, and how the brain reacts to images and text.
He loved pointing out that 55% of communication is body language.
He created his own seminar, "Aerobics for the Brain", about stress management and mental training.
His timing on stage was extraordinary — the result of relentless practice, filming himself, rehearsing in front of mirrors, and learning from performers worldwide.
🤝 Collaborations & Congresses
A dear colleague was Topper Martyn.
Both were comedic magicians, never competitors.
Together with you, Stefan, they travelled to Lausanne to convince FISM to let Stockholm host the World Championship.
They succeeded — and FISM 2006 became a milestone for Swedish magic.
🏆 Nominations & Recognition
In 2008, Magic Magazine in Las Vegas selected the world's top 10 comedy magic acts.
Björn was among the 31 nominees.
He didn't win — the winner was his friend Mac King — but the nomination itself was an honour.
🍾 40 Years on Stage
In 2010, he celebrated 40 years as an entertainer with a week of shows at Magic Bar, a beloved venue and a launchpad for many young magicians.
✈️ Friendship, Travel & Community
Life with Björn meant friendship with all of Magic Sweden — Magiska Bröderna and SMC — and countless wonderful trips to Magisk Weekend in Helsingborg and Lund.
🌟 Later Years & Final Bow
In his later years, he was often invited as a judge at magic conventions, especially within FISM.
She was proud of how respected he was worldwide.
She writes, "Jag levde ett väldigt lyckligt liv med Björn… Han var en stor romantiker… Livet är inte bara en dans på rosor, det kan vara mycket champagne också!"
They had two wonderful children, John and Louise.
He passed away too early, at 68, but lived to see them as adults, meet their partners, and know he would become a grandfather.
His final performance was on March 25, 2013, at the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Stockholm.
As he always said:
"När jag slutar trolla då är jag död."
Thank you for wanting to take part in this.
Irené Lönnqvist
The page about Johnny Lonn Story and other pages are edited and compiled by
Stefan Haglund stefan.haglund@1cru.se
The
feature film on the page is edited and compiled by Hans Crispin ( Temporarily blocked )
Självklart, Stefan — här kommer en engelsk version av texten, elegant, tydlig och med den där vänliga blinkningen som passar perfekt för en filmsida eller historiksektion.
Jag ger dig en version som känns professionell men ändå personlig:
🎬 Feature Film – A Compilation from TV, Film, Theatre and the Stallbröderna
The film opens in a new window.
(Due to an incorrect login code.)
You start it by clicking on the image — or HERE (coming soon).
The film has a long intro, so stay with it.
Running time: 1 hour 44 minutes.
And if that's not enough, there are nine more films further down the page.
Swedish Flag Day 1986
🎌 The Story of the Two Standards
For the 40th anniversary of the Swedish Magic Circle (SMC), we applied to receive an official Swedish standard from His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf during the annual flag ceremony at Skansen. With a large international gathering planned in Stockholm City Hall, we were delighted when our request was approved.
In addition to being members of SMC, the three of us magicians were also members of Magiska Bröderna, the oldest magic society in the Nordic region. It was therefore only natural that Magiska Bröderna would also apply for a standard in connection with their 70th anniversary in 2017.
In 1986, we received the SMC standard directly from His Majesty the King at Skansen.
When Magiska Bröderna applied for their standard in 2017, however, it arrived… by courier. Times change.
In 1986, SMC was charged 1,500 SEK for its standard, while Magiska Bröderna's 2017 standard was completely free of charge. Both associations also ordered their own internal ceremonial standards at the same time — though the cost of those remains known only to the treasurer.
The Swedish flag is always present at the award ceremonies at Johnny Lonn Memorial
A cavalcade of all winners in
Johnny Lonn Memorial
at Norra Brunn
2025
2024
2023
Från vänster ses Irené Lönnqvist - ,John Lönnqvist
3:e pris Nikola Arkane - 1:a pris Carl Tillenius - 2:a pris Jimmy Svärdhagen
2022
2021
2020
Inställt pga pandemin
2019
2018
8 different short film clips with
Johnny Lonn
Unfortunately this film is not working right now, but we will be back with a new copy soon.
It is about the following:
This film was made by Johnny Lonn a few years ago as an advertisement for his lecture "Aerobics for the Brain". Consider it a fun memory of him and his amazing ability to entertain us.
The ArtistJohnny Lonn
Some of his oil paintings
John Houdi
wrote April 8, 2013 about
Johnny Lonn
On the Stallbröderna FB page. Since it is internal, I want to share what I wrote so everyone understands Johnny Lonn's greatness:
If you could understand what an inspiration Johnny Lonn was to me, Häckner, Labero and many many others.
Johnny Lonn is a bigger name in the magic industry than everyone thinks.
He is MORE famous than Labero and Häckner together in the magic industry....
Note that he worked in Las Vegas in the 80s with Doug Henning and Bill Cosby, for example...
Johnny Lonn was an inspiration to me and he has meant a lot. That he was Colonel Reputation Master in the Stallbröderna and I was elected Reputation Master - Johnny's replacement when he couldn't - was something I was incredibly proud of.
They always say that it's too late to say what you think of others when they've passed away. That's something I've changed. Johnny Lonn knew very well how much he meant to me and I had the pleasure of presenting Johnny Lonn on stage at a meeting with the Stallbröderna before a show as Ryktmästare. There I explained to all the brothers what he meant to me and to other magicians in Sweden, to magic in Sweden and abroad. Consider that he sat as an expert judge during the world championships in Blackpool, England last summer.
This is how I remember him most. With his fantastic comic act that we so rarely got to see in Sweden but which he traveled all over the world with.
Watch, enjoy and honor Johnny L
John Houdi