Siegfried, of Siegfried & Roy, speaks about his connection with Roy Horn

Siegfried, of Siegfried & Roy, speaks about his connection with Roy Horn in an ABC exclusive interview.

IT WAS CERTAINLY EVIDENTTHEN.... AS MUCH AS IT NOW..HOW MUCH ROY MEANT....TO SIEGFRIED..HERE'S ABC'S...DEBORAH ROBERTS..THEY DEFINED THE GLITZ ANDSPECTACLE OF THE LAS VEGASSTRIP?

DEBORAH ROBERTS:SIEGFRIED AND ROY HIT THE VEGASSTRIP LIKE A METEOR.THEY HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING SOSUCCESSFUL.WHAT WAS THE SECRET SAUCEBETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU ONSTAGE?SIEGFRIED: YOU KNOW, IREALLY DON'T KNOW.FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE BEEN AVERY GOOD TEAM.SIEGFRIED AND ROY.AND THE WAY HOW IT ALWAYSWORKED WAS WE CHALLENGED EACHOTHER.ONE OF THE TOP GROSSING ACTS ONTHE STRIP FOR MORE THAN ADECADE ?.SIEGFRIED AND ROY WERETHE MASTERS OF MAGIC?AND OFCOURSE THERE WERE THOSE WHITETIGERS AND LIONS DEBORAHHAD YOU-- OVER THE COURSE OFTHE-- THE PERIOD OF TIME WHENYOU WERE WORKING, HAD YOU EVERANY LITTLE INCIDENTSOR-- YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WHENPEOPLE HAVE ANIMALS, THINGSHAPPEN.HAD YOU EVER HAD ANYTHING THATCAUSED YOU ALARM?// SIEGFRIEDBUT I MUST SAY, WITH THEANIMALS WAS 45 MONTHS-- 45YEARS WITH ANIMALS ON STAGE.AND REALLY NOT-- NOTHINGHAPPENED F-- WHAT YOU CAN SAY,YOU KNOW.ONE.AND THAT WAS ANACCIDENT THE "ACCIDENT" -HAPPENED OCTOBER 3RD 2003 ITWAS ROY HORN'S 59TH BIRTHDAY.THE AUDIENCE PACKED WITH ALISTERS AND FRIENDS.THEN , MONTACORE, A 400 POUNDSIBERIAN TIGER POUNCED,DRAGGING ROY BY THE NECKOFFSTAGE -- INSTANTLY ENDINGTHE ICONIC SHOW.DEBORAH ROBERTS: HOW MUCH DOYOU THINK ABOUT THAT NIGHT?NOW?

SIEGFRIED: YOU KNOW, NOWTHAT MUCH AT ALL ANYMORE//ITWAS AN ACCIDENT.IT WAS NOT LIKE THE PAPER, HOWEVERYONE'S SAYING.IT WASN'T ATTACK.BECAUSE IF A TIGER ATTACKS YOU,IT TAKES TWO SECONDS TO BE--TAKE YOU OVER.DEBORAH ROBERTS: TO KILL YOU.THE DUO HAVE ALWAYS INSISTED ITWAS A TRAGIC ACCIDENT THAT ROYHAD A STROKE ONSTAGE ....PROMPTING MANTACORETO LUNGE, IN A NEARLY FATALATTEMPT TO HELP DEBORAHROBERTS: JUST TAKE ME BACK TOTHAT NIGHT AS BEST YOU CAN.IT WAS ROY'S 59TH BIRTHDAY.//MONTECORE WAS WAITING TO GETHIS JUMP UP, ROY'S SHOULDER,AND GET HIS TREAT.AND ROY WAS THERE.AND HE SAID NO TO MONTECORE,"NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO."//SIEGFRIED: THEN MONTECORE WENTON TOP OF HIM.AND HE LOOKED AROUND.OH, HELOOKED AROUND.AND HE DIDN'T KNOW-- LIKE, INHIS FACE, WAS, "WHAT?

WHAT'S--WHAT'S GOING ON?

WHAT WANT?"AND THEN HE GRABBED HIM HERE.AND HE CARRIED HIM.FOR ROY, USUALLY MONTECORETOOK.HE TOOK-- MONTECORE TOOK ROYBACKSTAGE.ROY WAS NEAR DEATH?

AND FORSIEGFREID, THE MEMORY OFSEEING HIS PARTNER IN THEHOSPITAL THE NEXT MORNING -STILL EMOTIONAL?..SIEGFRIED: HE HAD ALL THISSTUFF AROUND HIM.AND I GO IN, AND I PUT THISTAPE ON.AND (NOISE) THE MUSIC STARTS TOPLAY.(SINGS) THE VIOLIN.AND I LOOK HIM.NO MOVE.JUST-- (LAUGH) DEBORAH ROBERTS:THAT WAS DEBORAH ROBERTSREPORTING...AT T