The Tragic Death Of America's Got Talent Musician Jay Jay Phillips
Jay Jay Phillips, best known for electrifying the stage on the reality competition show "America's Got Talent," has died, his band announced on Instagram. He was 30 years old.
Phillips' band, Mettal Maffia, made the tragic announcement on November 30. TMZ reported that Phillips died from COVID-19 over Thanksgiving weekend. He was found dead at his home by his girlfriend and her mother. The outlet noted he had yet to be vaccinated, though the musician reportedly was planning to get the vaccine soon.
"It is with great sadness we inform you all of the loss of our bandmate/brother/and friend @jayjayrocks. It still doesn't feel real and we would give anything to change it," the band wrote. "Please respect the family, as well as our wishes as we take our time to grieve and process this detrimental loss. We miss you brother, every second of every minute, of every day. Thank you for teaching us all to laugh a little more. Rock in Paradise."
While the keyboardist's friends and family continue to mourn him, let's take a look back at Phillips' impact on television audiences across the nation.
Jay Jay Phillips was a staple on America's Got Talent
Jay Jay Phillips was a talented musician and wanted America to witness his keyboard-playing skills, which is why he auditioned for "America's Got Talent" twice. Phillips' first made his debut on the reality competition show in 2009, but was eliminated early on in the season, according to Deadline. He returned to the show in 2017, making it all the way to the quarterfinals before getting eliminated. In his audition clip, the judges — Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Mel B, Heidi Klum, and Laverne Cox — were wowed by his dazzling performance.
After Phillips was eliminated from the show, he fronted his own band and would often post updates for his fans on his Instagram account. In his last post before his death, Phillips expressed his excitement for the future of his band and the progress they were making. "My band METTAL MAFFIA is making huge moves and anyone that's a fan of me IT'S A MUST you check us out," he wrote in October. "i'm 50 million more times exited about this than the whole AGT thing and i'm so grateful to rock out with my brothers and sister and dude I love this band and them so much it's ridiculous." Our thoughts are with his family and friends.