The Tragic Death Of America's Got Talent Zuri Craig

Zuri Craig, the singer and actor who was the other half of The Craig Lewis Band and known for competing in the finals of Season 10 of "America's Got Talent, has died. He was 44 years old.

Craig died on October 21, per the announcement shared by his friends and family on both his band and ZoReMi Entertainment's official Instagram pages. Along with blended images of his performances throughout his career, they shared the devastating news. "It is with profound sadness that we announce the transition of our beloved son, brother and friend, Zuri Craig," they wrote, withholding Craig's cause of death. "We thank you in advance for your prayers. Please honor our privacy during this unimaginable time of mourning."

Craig and his singing partner, Jeffrey Lewis, were one of the lucky few to have received the golden buzzer on "America's Got Talent." During their audition, they performed a mindblowing rendition of Mary J. Blige's "I'm Goin' Down." The duo also impressed audiences and judges with a cover of James Brown's "This Is A Man's World." But in the end, they finished in fifth place. "AGT" was not Craig's only notable project, however. The singer also collaborated with renowned director Tyler Perry.

In 2008, Zuri Craig and musical partner, Jeffrey Lewis, were tapped by director Tyler Perry to collaborate on a few projects after seeing their cover of "The Brady Bunch" theme song. Per The Wrap, Perry helped The Craig Lewis Band reach new audiences by inviting them to join his stage musical, "Madea's Big Happy Family." Entertainment Weekly also noted that Craig was part of "A Madea Christmas" and "Madea Gets a Job."

Craig's hard work did not go unnoticed. When news of his death spread, fans took to Twitter to pay tribute to the star. "Zuri Craig's passing just hits different when you grew up on Madea plays," one fan tweeted. "bro. it just cannot be. may your powerful voice, from your rasp, to your falsetto REST IN HEAVEN. #zuricraig #foreverzuricraig," wrote another. "#MadeasBigHappyFamily was an Amazingly Funny Play, & one of my many favorites. This Play featured #ZuriCraig's amazing voice and talent. The entire cast done phenomenal. He will truly be Missed," tweeted another devastated fan.

A creative soul through and through, Craig had been involved in an array of projects over the years, including podcasts and theatrical productions. Per TVLine, he was even set to produce a live production in Atlanta called "Soul Food Live" starting in November.