At the age of 89, the well-known mentalist and regular guest on “The Tonight Show,” The Amazing Kreskin, passed away on Tuesday.
On social media, his family posted the news of his death while requesting anonymity.
In a post from Kreskin’s X account, they stated, “Performing for all of you brought immense joy to his life, and it was something he deeply cherished.”
Ryan Galway, Kreskin’s former manager and friend, expressed his sadness, saying he was “beyond heartbroken,” after working with Kreskin for six years.
He said, “I know you know what I’m still thinking,” in a LinkedIn post. “I will miss your stories and seeing you perform on stage.”
George Kresge, Kreskin’s real name, was born in 1935 in Montclair, New Jersey. His many TV performances on programs including “The Mike Douglas Show,” “The Mervin Griffin Show,” and—possibly most famously—”The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,” where he performed 88 times, helped him gain notoriety in the 1970s.
“The Amazing World of Kreskin,” his own television program, ran in Canada from 1972 to 1975 and in the US through syndication.
Throughout his career, Kreskin also appeared on CNN to offer predictions for the New Year and performed on “Late Night with David Letterman,” “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” and the “Howard Stern Show.” The book he wrote in 1991 was titled “Secrets of the Amazing Kreskin.”
He would do mentalist tricks in his performances, such as claiming he had never heard the name of a street they lived on, their vehicle plate number, or their social security number.
Galway stated that Kreskin was “renowned for his uncanny ability to predict complex events, including multiple Super Bowl outcomes and presidential election results.” One of his most well-known forecasts was the Seattle Seahawks’ triumph in Super Bowl XLVIII, in which he predicted the score to be almost exactly 43-8 and even that Malcolm Smith would make a big play.
One of his most famous tricks was asking his audience to conceal a check during his performance and threatening to withhold payment if he couldn’t locate it. Kreskin claimed that he lost fewer than a dozen times in all of his outings.
Additionally, he would give $1 million to any audience member who could demonstrate that he was employing secret equipment or helpers throughout his performance.
Kreskin made around 300 appearances a year over six decades, performing well into his 80s, according to Galway.
His family claimed on X that “The Amazing Kreskin cared only to perform for all of you.”
Before Kreskin turned 80, they added that there were just “10 more days until his retirement,” quoting Kreskin’s own statement from a CBS interview.
“It will be ten days after my death,” he told CBS while discussing his retirement. I am one of the fortunate few. I’m really passionate about what I do.
Galway described Kreskin’s preparation of his own tombstone prior to his passing as “a final, dramatic gesture that encapsulated his unique approach to life and entertainment.”
At the conclusion of his performances, The Amazing Kreskin would say, “This is not goodbye, but to be continued.”
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