Uri has been on our show twice, once in March and then again in August. Please enjoy!
8.8.14
3.28.14
Uri Geller is one of the world’s most investigated and celebrated mystifiers. Famous around the globe for his mind-bending abilities, he has led a unique life shrouded in debate, controversy and mystery.
At the age of four he had a mysterious encounter with a sphere of light while in a garden near his house. He first became aware of his unusual powers when he was five. One day, during a meal, his spoon curled up in his hand and broke, although he had applied no physical pressure to it. His parents were somewhat shocked and Uri did not mention the incident to anyone else at that time. He developed these powers in school by demonstrating them to pupils. His mother thought he inherited them from Sigmund Freud with whom he is related.
In 1969 he began to demonstrate his powers of telepathy and psychokinesis to small audiences. By the end of 1971, he was a household name throughout Israel, thanks to his numerous stage appearances. He was given a huge boost by the then Prime Minister, Golda Meir when asked on a national radio programme what she predicted for the future of Israel, she replied, “Don’t ask me – ask Uri Geller!”
Uri has been studied by the world’s leading scientists, including a few who worked with Albert Einstein. The world’s most prestigious scientific magazine, Nature, published a paper on Uri’s work at the Stanford Research Institute in the U.S.A – a unique endorsement, and an irrefutable proof that his skills are genuine. His work with the FBI and the CIA has ranged from using Mind Power to erase KGB computer files and track serial killers, to attending nuclear disarmament negotiations to bombard and influence the Russian chief negotiator with positive thought waves so that the Soviet delegation would sign the Nuclear Arms Reduction Treaty.
A vegetarian and fervent promoter of peace, Uri has used his intuitive abilities to successfully detect oil and precious metals, one of his successes in locating a huge offshore oil field for Mexico’s national oil company PEMEX resulted in Uri getting a Mexican nationality as a token of appreciation and honour by Mexico’s President Jose Lopez Portillo. This has provided him the freedom to help others. He counts Sigmund Freud among his forebears, and he is the motivational Mind Power coach to Premier League footballers, industrialists, Formula One drivers, boxers and racing cyclists. An avid fitness enthusiast, Uri cycles 15 miles daily on his exercise bike.Uri has founded The Uri Geller Charitable Foundation from which he helps sick and under-privileged children.
In 1995 a major motion picture inspired by Uri’s life story titled MindBender was filmed in Israel directed by the legendary Ken Russell starring Oscar nominee Terrence Stamp. The film was distributed among others by Disney’s Buena Vista.
Uri’s artistic skills began during his early childhood. A ‘pupil’ of Salvador Dali, whom he knew well, Uri has exhibited his drawings, paintings and artworks in major galleries and museums in the USA, Europe, Japan and Israel. His creations of pottery, led crystals, natural rock crystal jewellery and watches for QVC are in great demand worldwide. Uri’s drawings have been featured on both Belinda Carlisle’s and Michael Jackson’s latest albums. Uri Geller also helped to design the logo of the most successful boy band in the world ever, N*SYNC.
He has met great artists such as Andy Warhol, Picasso, Peter Max and John Lennon, who was his close friend in New York during the Seventies.He is the father of a daughter and son, both in their mid-twenties; he is also the owner of two dogs and the author of fifteen best-sellers, including the novels Ella, currently in production to be made into a major Hollywood movie, and Dead Cold, which was listed as a contender for the Golden Dagger Award by The Times in the UK.
Although he is not a Magician, Uri was very proud to accept the David Berglas International Magic Award in London in 2008, for his services to the promotion of Magic. In 2010, he received in Los Angeles the prestigious Dunninger memorial award for Professionalism in the Performance of Mentalism.
His television series The Successor, which premiered in Israel in early 2007 to historic record-breaking ratings, has now been launched worldwide. Screening in the United States on NBC prime time, under the title Phenomenon, the show was co-hosted by the mystifying artist Criss Angel.
Uri Geller himself created the format and helped to adapt it for Germany’s ProSieben, where it topped the ratings in January 2008. The show has also been a massive hit in Holland, Hungary, Turkey, Greece, Ukraine, Sweden and Russia. The Successor was televised also in Canada, Iceland, Australia and Finland. A&E, the American cable network, broadcast the NBC version of his series Phenomenon in Latin America, including Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Columbia, Mexico and many more South American countries.In 2012 Uri was awarded the prestigious Golden Grolla award, at the eleventh “Masters of Magic” convention in St Vincent Italy, for inspiring the world of magic. In 2012 Uri also received the Star Foundation award at the house of commons (Houses of Parliament) in London, in recognition of his charity work.