Zuri Craig obit

Tyler Perry Collaborator, ‘America’s Got Talent’ Star Zuri Craig Dead at 44

 

He was not the list.

Zuri Craig, a frequent collaborator of media titan Tyler Perry and former America’s Got Talent star, has died. He was 44.

Craig’s family announced his passing on Sunday in a tribute to him on his official ZoReMi Entertainment Instagram page.

“It is with profound sadness that we announce the transition of our beloved son, brother and friend, Zuri Craig,” the post said. “We thank you in advance for your prayers. Please honor our privacy at this unimaginable time of mourning.”

The cause of death has not yet been released.

Prior to his starring time on America’s Got Talent in 2015 when and his singing partner Jeffrey Lewis placed fifth, Craig had been working with Tyler Perry in his “Madea” plays that morphed into a successful series.

“Craig has starred in/worked on a few … ‘Madea’s Big Happy Family,’ ‘Madea Gets a Job’ and ‘A Madea Christmas.’

He and Lewis even appeared on ‘Oprah‘ in the early 2010s,” noted TMZ. “He’s also worked on podcasts and other shows over the years — and was even set to produce a live production in Atlanta, ‘Soul Food Live,’ starting next month.”

Fans of Zuri Craig remembered him on social media, hailing him for his vocal talents and his charming presence.

Zuri was one half of the singing duet The CraigLewis Band that made it all the way to the finals of America’s Got Talent in 2015. During their run on Season 10, Zuri and Jeffrey Lewis delivered a memorable performance of James Browns’ “This Is A Man’s World” and earned a golden buzzer for their cover of Mary J. Blige’s “I’m Going Down.” However, they ultimately finished behind ventriloquist Paul Zerdin.

The singer was also a regular in films from Tyler Perry, appearing in Medea’s Big Happy Family and A Medea Christmas in 2011 and singing in 2013’s Medea Gets a Job.

According to The Wrap, Craig was discovered after he posted a cover of The Brady Bunch theme song on YouTube in 2008, catching the ear of Perry, who then invited Craig and Lewis to appear in his stage show, Medea’s Big Happy Family. They then took the stage at AGT — earning a Golden Buzzer from guest panelist Michael Bublé — and released their 12-track full-length Must Be Love album in 2016.

Craig continued to appear on stage after his AGT run, including in The Perfect Pastor, The Truth About Black Men and The House That Misery Built. His production company, ZoReMi Entertainment, recently announced an upcoming live stage production of the beloved 1997 romantic drama Soul Food. At press time AGT had not reacted to Craig’s death