Love Quote by Lance Burton

Nostalgia is doing real work here: Burton isn’t just reminiscing about Louisville, he’s building an origin myth that sounds humble while quietly explaining a career. By naming Harry Collins, he shifts the spotlight away from the lone-genius narrative and toward apprenticeship, a classic backstage truth in entertainment. Magic sells itself as pure astonishment, but it’s often transmitted like a trade: you learn the moves, the ethics, the misdirection, the code of not ruining it for others. Collins becomes the gateway figure who legitimizes Burton’s obsession and gives it shape.

The line “so obsessed with magic” reads like a confession and a credential. Obsession is a little unruly, even socially suspect; Burton reframes it as destiny once it’s recognized by the right adult. That’s the subtext: talent isn’t only innate, it’s noticed. “He taught me the love of magic” is especially strategic. Burton could say Collins taught technique, but “love” is softer, more durable, harder to counterfeit. It positions Burton as someone motivated by devotion rather than ego, which matters in a field built on controlling attention.

Culturally, it’s also a defense of wonder in a world that increasingly treats illusion as either scam or CGI. By rooting his practice in mentorship and love, Burton frames stage magic as an art form with lineage - not just tricks, but a tradition passed hand to hand, from a local teacher in Louisville to the bright lights where Burton eventually made his name.