David Kaye (magician)

David Kaye (born David Friedman) is a professional magician and author. He performs under the stage name Silly Billy.

Personal life
Kaye is the son of Arnold and Elaine Friedman. He is the eldest of their three sons. Kaye's younger brothers are Seth and Jesse. He grew up in Flushing, Queens, and then moved to Great Neck, Long Island, with his family when he was a teenager.

In 1987, Kaye's father Arnold and his youngest brother Jesse were charged with molesting young boys in computer classes taught in the basement of the Friedmans' Great Neck home. In 1988, Arnold and Jesse pled guilty to child sexual abuse and served time. The case was chronicled in the 2003 documentary Capturing the Friedmans. There was never any inference that Kaye had any knowledge of, or was involved in any way, with the activities of his father and brother.

Kaye adopted his current surname in the 1990s. Kaye's registration of the surname Kaye with the SAG-AFTRA union for his stage name was due to 'David Friedman' being registered with 27 other individuals as of 2003.

Kaye is the foremost children's magician in the United States, author of numerous books including Seriously Silly and Super-Sized Silly, a columnist in both Magic (American magazine) and Genii magazine, and creator of numerous marketed tricks: "Peek-a-Boo Bunny," "Yes, No, Maybe So," "Princess in a Pickle," among others.