The young Burton was fascinated, and a neighbor, hearing of his interest, gave him a book, Magic Made Easy, which her own (then-grown) children had used.

Collins, a full-time magician, noticed the interest, and became his mentor when Burton was in his teens, teaching him the fundamentals of the trade.

[10] He performed an initial eight-week trial at the Folies Bergère show in Las Vegas, and then had his contract extended for a record-breaking nine years.

Entertainment Today magazine listed it as the #1 family magic act, and during its 13-year run Burton earned an estimated $110 million.

In 1986, Burton guest starred in a fourth season episode Knight Rider titled "Deadly Knightshade" as the mastermind magician behind the murder of a Foundation trustee.

Burton starred in several network television specials, including For his Top Secret special that first aired on February 24, 1999, at Buffalo Bill's Hotel & Casino in Primm, Nevada, Burton staged an illusion in which he appeared to escape the path of a speeding roller coaster while on the tracks of "The Desperado".

The Desperado is one of the tallest and fastest roller coasters in the United States – taking one minute to climb, and 3.5 seconds to descend to where he was on the tracks.