Former America’s Got Talent contestant, Zuri Craig has died at age 44. The singer competed on AGT season 10 in 2015 as one half of the Craig Lewis Band. That’s Zuri on the right in the photo.
His family confirmed his death on Sunday, posting a tribute on Zuri’s official ZoReMi Entertainment page.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce the transition of our beloved son, brother and friend, Zuri Craig.,” the tribute reads, “We thank you in advance for your Prayers. Please honor our privacy during this unimaginable time of mourning. Official details to follow.”
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Zuri Craig and Jeffrey Lewis as the Craig Lewis Band got pretty far on the show thanks to their skilled and soulful performances. They impressed the judges–Howard Stern, Howie Mandel, Mel B and Heidi Klum–with their initial audition, singing James Brown’s “This Is a Man’s World.”
After advancing to the Judge Cuts round, the pair received a Golden Buzzer from guest judge Michael Buble, which allowed them to advance straight to the live shows. The two covered Mary J. Blige’s passionate hit R&B single, “I’m Goin’ Down.” Eventually, they left the show in 5th place. They performed “I Wanna Know What Love Is” with Gospel star Yolanda Adams on the grand finale.
Here’s a clip featuring every Craig Lewis Band performance from the season.
Prior to America’s Got Talent, Zuri worked with Tyler Perry on a few of his productions, such as “Madea’s Big Happy Family,” “Madea Gets a Job” and “A Madea Christmas.” He and Craig appeared on Oprah in the early 2010s. Zuri was getting ready to produce a live show in Atlanta called “Soul Food Live that was set to open on November 20th.
