World
Kabir Singh, comedian and former ‘America’s Got Talent’ contestant, dies at 39
Comedian Kabir Singh has died, a family member confirmed to NBC News. He was 39.
He passed away in his sleep in his Bay Area home in Pleasanton, California, according to his sister, Sonya Singh. Their mother was the one who found him Wednesday.
“My mom — she lives with him — tried to wake him up, and he didn’t wake up,” Sonya Singh told NBC News.
She said the cause of death is not known at this time, but that her brother had congenital heart disease. Kabir Singh previously had two surgeries due to his condition, according to his sister.
Kabir Singh was the youngest of three siblings. He would have turned 40 on Dec. 30, Sonya Singh said.
“We were planning his birthday,” she said.
Singh is best known for competing on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” in 2021, where he reached the semifinals before getting eliminated. NBC is owned by NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC News.
In his “AGT” audition, Singh performed a quick set where he joked about serial killer documentaries and remembering passwords. He received a “yes” from all four judges — Sofía Vergara, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Simon Cowell.
“I want to be the first stand up comedian to win this, and I’d be the happiest guy in the world,” Singh said ahead of his audition.
In a statement to NBC News on Friday, “AGT” called Singh “a talented comedian” who brought “his undeniable humor” to the stage.
“He brought joy and laughter to so many and his incredible talent will be missed,” the statement read.
The Portland, Oregon-born comedian also appeared in Comedy Central’s “Gabriel Iglesias Presents Stand Up Revolution,” and worked on the hit Fox series “Family Guy.”
“He was very well loved in the comedy community,” Sonya Singh told NBC News. “He helped a lot of people and he put a lot of people on stage and loved working in that field.”
One of Singh’s final comedy performances was in early November, at the Deaf Puppy Comedy Club in Manteca, California.
The Manteca comedy club commemorated Singh in a post on Instagram following news of his passing, calling him “one of the best.”
“He absolutely destroyed every time he performed in Manteca,” the post read. “You lifted up the 209 comedy scene when there was none, and will always be our Champion.”