Childhood & Early Life
J.C. Sum was born Sum Jan-Chung on December 5, 1976 in Singapore.
He attended Victoria school and Victoria Junior College. While in school he became interested in magic.
He started studying magic at the age of 12 and at the age of 16 he began performing professionally.
In 1993, he joined the International Brotherhood of Magicians.
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Career
Sum got his first gigs at the age of 16. In 1994, he took 2nd place at the close-up competition with his cup and balls routine.
He won the Singapore ring 115 "Most Entertaining Magician" in 1996 at the brotherhood's close-up competition.
In 1998, he was covered in the March issue of "The Linking Ring" for his "one-man parade" illusion. This publication in the International Brotherhood of Magicians' official magazine led him to two more awards.
Sum continued performing magic through his time doing national service in the army. He did weekly gigs at such hotels as the Hilton, Shangri-la, Lion City Hotel, Tony Romas, and the Four Seasons.
After serving in the army, he enrolled at the National University of Singapore. He perfected his magic while studying English, Sociology, and Philosophy. He dropped out in his fourth year in order to become a full-time magician.
Sum got his first break on television in 2004 when he performed at the President's Star Charity. The show was wildly popular, raising a total of $2.83 million. The show's success led Sum getting a spot on the variety show "Top Fun" in 2006. Although the show was not named after him, Mediacorp Studios created the show specifically for J.C.
In 2007, he starred in a 24-part series on street magic titled "Magic in Motion".
In 2007, along with his partner "Magic Babe" Ning, he pulled off the largest grand illusion ever staged in Southeast Asia. He teleported, in front of a crowd of witnesses, from ground level to a building 50 stories high in just five seconds.
On September 24 2008, Sum and Ning performed “The Impossible Teleportation”. They teleported three individuals over River Singapore in just 2.5 seconds.
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From August 2008 to August 2009, Sum and Ning starred in "Ultimate Magic" at the Clarke Quay arena. It was Singapore's first permanent illusion show.
In 2009, Sum and Ning made an appearance on "Asia Uncut". They were the first magicians to ever appear on the show.
On June 27, 2009, he entered the record books by pulling off 15 illusions in five minutes. It was the closing act of the 2009 Singapore River festival
The pair represented Singapore the following year on "Duel Mahakarya Magician". This Indonesian television competition featured magicians from all over the world.
In 2011, the duo hosted one of Singapore's first 3D television shows. The program showcased their brand of street magic.
On January 7, 2012, Sum and Ning set another world record. They were able to capture the thoughts of 100 random people in 51 seconds, which beat the record by nine seconds.
In addition to performing, J.C. Sum has published numerous books on magic and illusions. All of his publications were re-published in 2011 by Murphy's Magic Supplies.
His publications include: "Illusionary Departures", "The Event Illusionist", "Equilateral", "Urban Illusions", "The Event Magician Volumes 1 and 2", "Urban Underground", "Behind the Illusions", and "Illusionism".
Awards & Achievements:
In 1999, he won two linking awards from the International Brotherhood of Magicians.
In 2005, he won the "Master of Magic" at the International Festival of Magic in Bangladesh.
In 2009, he won the Merlin award for "Most Original Illusionist of the Year" at the International Magicians Society.
He won an award in 2013 for Outstanding Achievement and contribution to magic from the International Brotherhood of Magicians.
