Peter Reveen, hypnotist popular with Maritime audiences, dead at 77

Popular hypnotist Peter Reveen has died after a battle with diabetes and dementia. He was 77.

‘The man they call Reveen’ passed away Monday morning at a Las Vegas hospital, after a battle with diabetes and dementia.

Peter James Reveen will be best remembered by many Maritimers for his sold-out shows in which he hypnotized people and had them perform onstage to the delight of audience members.

“It was captivating from the very minute that he came on stage and he was just an amazing person, brilliant,” says fan Catherine Goggin. “I enjoyed his performances. Kept me in stitches the whole time.”

His son, Ty Reveen, says his father’s captivating shows inspired him to follow in his footsteps.

“Brilliant at whatever he tried to do,” says his son. “It was just fabulous, it was just beyond anything I have ever seen anybody do and I was just honoured to be his son.”

Reveen’s family and close friends say there was a lot more to the iconic hypnotist than just his stage personality.

“He had friends all over the world,” says daughter-in-law Lisa Reveen. “He was a mentor to many and ultimately, he was just a very good friend. That’s what he was to me. I have lost a really good friend today.”

Ralph Craig was Reveen’s Canadian manager in the 1990s but has known the performer since the 1960s.

“It doesn’t matter if you go to Saskatoon or Vancouver, any place in Canada, everyone knows Reveen, everyone has a story about Reveen,” says Craig.

Although he was born in Australia, Reveen enjoyed Canadian audiences and visited the Maritimes many times.

Marshall Button attended Reveen’s last sold-out show in Moncton in 2008.

“He was magic,” says Button. “He drew crowds and he kept coming back here.”

“He has had a great life,” says Lisa Raveen. “I don’t think there were any regrets. He got to travel the world, he had no enemies, he lived his life honest. I’d say he is at peace.”

Reveen was 77.

With files from CTV Atlantic's David Bell