‘America’s Got Talent’ star Zuri Craig dies at 44
The family of the actor-performer did not disclose his cause of death.
“America’s Got Talent” contestant Zuri Craig, who competed on season 10 and made it to the finals, has died at age 44.
People reported that the family of the actor-performer confirmed in a statement shared on social media that Craig passed away Friday but did not disclose the cause of death.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce the transition of our beloved son, brother and friend, Zuri Craig,” the family’s statement read. “We thank you in advance for your prayers. Please honor our privacy at this unimaginable time of mourning.”
Craig and Jeffrey Lewis, who were known as the Craig Lewis Band, served up a stunning performance on “America’s Got Talent” back in 2015. The dynamic duo wowed judges with renditions of James Brown’s “This is a Man’s World” and Mary J. Blige’s “I’m Goin’ Down,” but ultimately finished in fifth place on the popular talent competition show.
The bandmates noted in a 2015 interview with Gossip & Gab that they mostly performed at churches and weddings and fans could also find them “humming a few tunes” on their YouTube channel.
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Craig told the outlet that Lewis was initially hesitant to audition for the talent show. “I’ve wanted to audition for AGT for the past three years now but I could never convince Jeffrey to audition with me, he said. “I asked him to audition and he finally said YES!”
When asked what the Craig Lewis Band was most looking forward to in the AGT live shows, Craig said “Being able to just put our little feet on Radio City Music Hall’s stage is enough alone … but you mean to tell me we get to perform on that stage as well! Amazing,” he told Gossip & Gab.
Craig recently was working on a web series he created titled “Black Hollywood: Atlanta,” according to People. He also appeared in the Tyler Perry films “Madea’s Big Happy Family,” “A Madea Christmas” and “Madea Gets a Job.”
Craig’s family shared a collage of images of him on his ZoReMi Entertainment’s Instagram page along with the caption, “Please keep our family and friends in your prayers. More info forthcoming.”
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