The Amazing Kreskin, a mentalist and entertainer who captivated generations of viewers, has died at the age of 89.
Kreskin’s friend and former road manager Ryan Galway told media that Kreskin — born George Joseph Kresge Jr. — died Tuesday at his home in Caldwell, New Jersey.
Galway did not provide additional details, but wrote in a post on LinkedIn that he was “beyond heartbroken.”
“I know you know what I’m still thinking about,” he wrote.
Galway said Kreskin was known for his “extraordinary mind-reading abilities and captivating performances,” as well as his “uncanny” ability to predict complex events, including the outcomes of several Super Bowl and presidential election results .
Kreskin already knows whether you’re going to watch this or not.
An article announcing Kreskin’s death on his official This followed with a response saying, “As Kreskin always said at the end of his shows, ‘It’s not goodbye, but it must go on.'”
In a later post, account in which Kreskin said he will not retire until 10 days after his death.
Kreskin launched his career on television in the 1960s and remained popular for decades, making regular appearances on talk shows hosted by everyone from Merv Griffin to Johnny Carson to Jimmy Fallon.
TV columnist and podcaster Bill Brioux says Kreskin was the ideal late-night TV guest, always leaving audiences in awe.
“They were leaning on the edge of their seats, and he delivered on his promises every time,” he said, describing Kreskin as a “good-natured guy” who looked like he could be your neighbor.
“He wasn’t wearing any crazy costume or anything, he was just being himself. He just seemed very affectionate and humble, non-threatening – but he knew the future.”
He spent much of his early career in Canada. His show The Amazing World of Kreskin was broadcast across Canada and syndicated in the United States in the 1970s.
Brioux remembers Canadian comedian Jim Carrey pretending to be Kreskin early in his acting career, highlighting how well-known the mentalist was across the country.
Kreskin’s talents are unmatched: mentalist
Daniel Paulin, a Canadian mentalist, magician and escape artist who plays the role of Danny Zzzz, remembers being inspired as a child by watching Kreskin on television.
“When we grew up in the 70s, we were cooped up in front of the television. We all lay on our stomachs with our fists under our chins, watching television and we couldn’t believe what was happening,” he said. -he declared.
Paulin still has his old Kreskin’s ESP board game from his childhood. It was a game created in the 1960s and meant to help players test and develop their own extra-sensory perception abilities.
Paulin said he always appreciated the way Kreskin interacted with audiences and the way he presented himself as an “artist” rather than insinuating that he had talents inaccessible to others.
Kreskin often emphasized that he was not a medium, mind reader, or hypnotist, but used body language cues and the power of suggestion to guide people’s actions.
“When we look at all the greats that are happening right now, I think we can all agree that no one has done it, nor ever will do it, like Kreskin did,” Paulin said.
The Amazing Kreskin with his ten predictions for 2009.
Some of Kreskin’s favorite mental tricks included correctly guessing a randomly chosen playing card or, most famously, guessing where his paycheck had been placed among the audience.
Sometimes checks were found in absurd places like in a turkey’s stuffing or in a man’s mouth. If he didn’t get his paycheck back, he said he would forgo payment for the show.
Kreskin began offering US$1 million to anyone who could prove he had used secret assistants or hidden devices.
Mentalist Ryan Edwards, who took the stage at a Kreskin show in Ontario more than a decade ago, called the late performer a legend.
“He was one of the giants,” Edwards said.
Kreskin has also given live performances and written numerous books, including The secrets of the incredible Kreskin And Mental power is real.
Kreskin’s act was to “capture the spirit”
“I use the term mentalist because what I do is about how people think,” he said in a 2009 radio interview with CBC. “It’s not a magical act. The essence of what I do is to capture the spirit.”
Despite being a talk show regular, American radio personality Art Bell banned the artist from his show after a UFO stunt in 2002.
Kreskin claimed a UFO would appear over Las Vegas on the night of June 2 and added that he would donate US$50,000 to charity if he was wrong. Hundreds of people gathered in the desert to no avail.
Kreskin said he persuaded the crowd outside to point out how susceptible people were to being manipulated, after events since September 11, 2001, made him realize that mind control could be used on the masses for nefarious purposes.
“I planted the seed,” he said told the Las Vegas Sun. “Imagine how one person, especially today with mass communications, could get people talking about it and spreading it. I’m ready to go on national television to get a million people to take action in 90 seconds. God prohibits a person from doing so for half an hour or an hour.
Kreskin said in a video for the Big Think online forum that it is still possible to perceive the thoughts of others in good conditions, with concentration.
The next chapter3:22Rich Terfry and the incredible Kreskin
Rich Terfry (aka Buck65) describes his memorable meeting with the famous mentalist.
But that has become more difficult in recent years as people have become addicted to modern technology, he said, lamenting that people are distracted by their cell phones even when they are with others people.
“We must listen to silence and not be afraid of silence,” he said. “And there are people who have reached a point where they are afraid of silence.”
A post on Kreskin’s Facebook page said Christmas was his favorite time of year and he loved decorating his home and throwing parties.
In 2020, Kreskin spoke with CBC about his tradition of sending 2,000 Christmas cards each year, including to journalists who interviewed him years ago.
When asked why he continued to send these cards, he told former CBC producer Kent Hoffman: “Because I love the holidays and the people who, in different ways, have touched my life, like YOU. I don’t forget the people. don’t do it.”