David Fee graduated from UT in 1985 with a major in psychology and a minor in business administration. He is a well-celebrated magician and a lifetime member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. When he was eight years old, a friend showed him a few sleight-of-hand tricks, and at age 11 he started practicing magic when he met a magician at the Junior Playhouse in Oak Ridge. He learned tricks by attending magic conventions. He won the IBM youth contest for three consecutive years (1976–78).
In 1982 he was hired as a magician for the 1982 World’s Fair, after which his career expanded. He was noted for his Houdini-like stunts, such as hanging hundreds of feet below a helicopter while escaping from a strait jacket or being buried alive for many hours. He performed his magic professionally at places such as the Sierra Club in Las Vegas and Off Broadway in New York. In 1985 he was hired by Carnival Cruise Lines and was soon their number one cruise director. When he left Carnival after 12 years, he purchased the Hee Haw Theater in Pigeon Forge and the Comedy Barn Theater. He then purchased the Black Bear Jamboree, and in 2005 he purchased the Louise Mandrell Theater.