William Mayhem, a.k.a. Bill McRea Has a 40 year history in the entertainment world, performing as a magician and comedian for well over 7000 appearances, performances and presentations around the world.
Over a dozen years of his career was while he traveled the world with the United States Air Force. His talents as a magician have been utilized in motivational speaking programs, television commercials, theater productions, corporate training videos, anti-gang/drug seminars and safety programs.
He has been the opening act for Jazz Great Dave Koz, and HBO comedian/TV personality D. L. Hughley. Comedy clubs, theater stages, classroom environments, corporate board rooms and the convention center floor, he has graced them all with his magic, wit and charm.
He has also shared the limelight with celebrities the likes of Trini Lopez, Lyle Waggoner, Rick Springfield, Beau Bridges, Tommy Smothers, James Hampton, David Carradine, Obba Babatunde, Richard Kind, John Byner, Arte Johnson, John O’Hurley and The Great Desmond Llewelyn, just to name a select few.
From 1986 thru 2006, he made many appearances at such notable Las Vegas venues as The Dunes, Caesars Palace, The Alladdin, The Gold Coast, Stations Casions, Catch a Rising Star, Funny Bones, The IMPROV and Laffs comedy clubs. In 2006 he was honored to be one of the only magicians asked to perform at the World Famous Stardust Hotel for its final weekend party before the closing its doors forever.
Relocating to his hometown of St Augustine Fl, in January 2007, he has taken his passion of magic and love of pirate lore and history and blended them together into William Mayhem THE Pirate Magician of St Augustine. He has worked with the community organizing and performing for charitable events to benefit the homeless, food banks, the Cancer Society, Make A Wish, Give Kids the World and Dreams Come True, various FL based Hospitals and Christmas Toy Drives. He has also taken his talents to the class room performing a magic based pirate history show for schools and libraries.
Mayhem was one of the key organizers in the original St Augustine Pirate Gathering of 2008 an event that still runs to this day.
In 2009, he was one of the original crew/cast/performers on the Black Raven Pirate Ship, an actual on the water entertainment stage in the guise of a pirate ship.
In 2010, to present day, the adventure has continued with his work as the Pirate Face and Voice of the St Augustine Pirate and Treasure Museum, where he plays a key role in tour guiding many FL school classes on yearly field trips to his beloved St Augustine. He also conducts Pirate tours of the Museum open to the public, special events and media coverages, representing the most fantastic, entertaining and complete museum of pirate history in the world. Since beginning his tenure at the Museum almost 4 years ago, he has given well over 1300 tours within the museum walls. This has also put the Pirate Character William Mayhem, representing the Museum, on TV channels such as the History Channel, the Travel Channel, Telemundo and Univision. In 2011 he even graced the screen on a televison show called “Drinking Made Easy” with Zane Lamprey.
In 2012, William Mayhem earned the honor to be added to the list of esteemed and prestigious pirates, chosen from across the United States, known as the Order of Leviathan, also known as the 13 Pirate Lords of the United States, a prestigious honor given every two years and retained for life.
Also in 2012 Mayhem had a very short few seconds of Fame on Americas Got Talent, being cut mere hours before the first live taping. He still considers it an experience worth bragging about, because the brief footage of his sauntering thru the Tampa Convention center was used on nearly every episode of the 2012 season. He is the current Captain of the St Augustine Swashbucklers, started in 2001 by the late great Joe Osteen. The reigns of leadership were handed from Osteen to Mayhem in 2009, where he has been holding that position with unanimous crew support ever since. Even to this day in 2014 he continues to lead a crew of like-minded pirates, numbering between 70-100 at any one time, on adventures, events, and appearances, performing and raising money for charities and furthering the cause of community involvement.
Spring of 2013, William Mayhem and the St Augustine Swashbucklers were the half time show for the Jacksonville Sharks Arena Football Game. Social Media posts stated that it was one of the most fun and exciting half time shows of the season.
Capt Mayhem is proud of his affiliations with other pirate crews, over this time, with such crews as the Cut Throat Titans, The Cursed Few, The Pirates of the White Sands, the Crew of the Harbinger Fleet, the Scarlet Fortuna, Brothers of the Coast, Cedar Key Pirates, the Island Hoppers and the Space Coast crew to name a few.
There is much more on the horizon for William Mayhem THE Pirate Magician of St Augustine, with his talents as a highly sought after speaker and entertainer. Capt William Mayhem has been a requested and continuously sought after performer both as a Solo Act and with the St Augustine Swashbucklers, for many festivals and pirate events such as, The St Aug Seafood Festival, the St Aug Celtic Festival, St Aug Romanza Festival, Tybee Island Pirate Festival, Pirate Con, Cedar Key Fest, Savannah Tall Ships event, and the Pensacola Pirate Fest just to name a few.
Keep your eye on his continuous horizon of adventures both on his own and with all of his good crew mates of the ST Augustine Swashbucklers as they continue to entertain where ever pirates are needed.
