The Amazing Kreskin, the mentalist who became a popular television fixture in the 1970s, died Monday, his family announced. He was 89; his cause of death has not been made public.
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of The Amazing Kreskin, born George Kresge, at the age of 89. Performing for all of you brought immense joy to his life, and it was something he deeply cherished. The family kindly asks for privacy during this difficult time,” his family said in a statement posted on social media.
Born George Kresge in Montclair, New Jersey in 1935, he died at his home in Caldwell, New Jersey, according to his manager.
When creating his act as a young man, he was inspired by the comic strip “Mandrake the Magician,” about a crime fighting illusionist. He would always insist that what he did involved no supernatural powers or real magic. “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,” he said in 1991.
One of his most famous tricks was to have his paycheck for a performance hidden somewhere in the venue, promising not to be paid if he couldn’t find it — which happened, he later said, about 12 times.
Kreskin was a frequent guest on TV talk shows, appearing on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” 88 times, as well as other popular shows from the era. In later years he would appear often on Howard Stern’s show as well as Carson’s successors in late night, including David Letterman and Jimmy Fallon.
