America’s Got Talent Contestant Perry Kurtz Dead at 73

Comedian Perry Kurtz, who had a memorable audition on America’s Got Talent, has died in a hit-and-run accident at the age of 73, our sister site Deadline reports.

Kurtz was struck by a car on Thursday evening, law enforcement sources tell TMZ, and was pronounced dead at the scene. A suspect has reportedly been arrested on suspicion of felony hit-and-run causing death.

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Kurtz was a longtime stand-up comedian, performing at comedy clubs across the country throughout the ’70s and ’80s. In 2013, he appeared in the audition rounds of NBC’s America’s Got Talent, introducing himself as a 62-year-old “ex-male stripper.” He then launched into a freestyle rap about the judges, but he was quickly booed and heckled by the audience and received firm “no” votes from all three judges: Howard Stern, Heidi Klum and Mel B.

The act turned Kurtz into a William Hung-style viral sensation, though, and in 2018, he went on to appear on an episode of CBS’ The Late Late Show With James Corden, performing the classic tune “Louie Louie” on his keytar using only his tongue. He received a much warmer reception from Corden and the crowd that time; press PLAY to watch his full performance below:

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