David Kaye (magician)


David Kaye 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 oldest 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 Friedman's Great Neck home. In 1988, Arnold and Jesse pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse and went to prison. The case was chronicled in the 2003 documentary Capturing the Friedmans, in which Kaye was featured prominently.
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.