The entertainment world loses one of its most enigmatic figures who captivated audiences for decades with his remarkable mind-reading abilities and performances.
According to Fox News, George Joseph Kresge Jr., famously known as The Amazing Kreskin, has died at his home in Caldwell, New Jersey, at the age of 89, just one month shy of his 90th birthday.
Ryan Galway, his former road manager and friend, confirmed the passing, though the cause of death remains unknown.
The mentalist, who legally changed his name to The Amazing Kreskin, built his legacy by combining his name with famous magicians Harry Kellar and Harry Houdini.
The Montclair, New Jersey native, born on January 12, 1935, rose to prominence in the 1960s when he launched his television career. His popularity endured for decades as he made numerous appearances on talk shows hosted by various personalities, from Merv Griffin to Johnny Carson and Jimmy Fallon.
From 1970 to 1975, Kreskin hosted his own syndicated show called "The Amazing World of Kreskin," which aired on CTV in Canada and across the United States.
During his performances, he would often demonstrate his abilities through various mind tricks, including guessing randomly chosen playing cards and locating his hidden paycheck among audience members.
In his 1991 book "Secrets of the Amazing Kreskin," he explained his approach to his craft. The mentalist wrote:
I am not a psychic, an occultist or fortune teller. I am not a mind reader, medium or hypnotist. There is nothing supernatural about anything that I do. I am a scientist, a researcher in the field of suggestion and 'extrasensory' perceptions. I perform what I discover.
Throughout his career, Kreskin faced several controversies, including a notable incident in 2002 when he predicted a UFO appearance over Las Vegas. After the failed prediction, he revealed it was a social experiment to demonstrate how the September 11 terrorist attacks had made people susceptible to manipulation.
In 2018, Kreskin made headlines by claiming to have proven that hypnosis was not real. He dedicated significant time to challenging the existence of hypnosis, maintaining that subjects responding to suggestions exhibited brainwave patterns of fully conscious individuals.
His literary contributions included 20 books, with his 2012 work "Conversations with Kreskin" featuring a foreword by late Fox News founder Roger Ailes, who had previously booked him as a guest on the "Mike Douglas Show" in the 1960s.
The Amazing Kreskin's passing marks the end of an era in entertainment history. The mentalist, who never married and had no children, was particularly fond of the Christmas season, decorating his house with multiple Christmas trees and hosting annual parties where he would perform new effects for his guests.
His legacy lives on through his extensive body of work, including television appearances, live performances, and written works. As he would say at the conclusion of his shows, "This is not goodbye, but to be continued."
