America's Got Talent has released a statement on Season 12 contestant Brandon Rogers' sudden death.
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"We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Dr. Brandon Rogers, who graced the America's Got Talent stage as a contestant," said an AGT spokesperson. "Our thoughts are with his family."
Rogers, who had a standout performance when auditioning for America's Got Talent's currently-airing season, died just weeks before his episode was scheduled to air on NBC.
A source told Us Weekly that the network "will take the family's guidance regarding how to best respect his memory in relationship to the episode he appears in."
Rogers died at age 29. He was working as a medical resident at the time of his death after graduating from medical school at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2015.
According to TMZ, Rogers was riding in the front passenger seat of a car when it veered off the road and crashed into a tree. Maryland State Troopers informed the website that officers responded to the scene of the crash around 4:30AM on Saturday, but it wasn't until Sunday that Rogers died from his injuries.
Rogers was reportedly one of two passengers in the vehicle, and the other passenger was hospitalized after the accident. TMZ reported that the driver walked away unscathed.
Officials reportedly said drugs and alcohol were not involved.
On May 30, Rogers shared a photo of America's Got Talent judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, and Melanie "Mel B" Brown as well as host Tyra Banks to promote the Season 12 premiere.
"No I don't know which episode I'll be on but you'll see me eventually," Rogers captioned the image.
Rogers, whose stage name was "B-Rog," was a gifted singer reportedly discovered by America's Got Talent producers when they saw him on Instagram covering "On Bended Knee" by Boyz II Men, whom Rogers described as his "idols" on social media.
The video even caught the attention of Boyz II Men themselves, who asked Rogers to perform in Las Vegas with them over the course of three nights. Rogers had written on social media that the opportunity was a dream come true.
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America's Got Talent is currently airing audition episodes every Tuesday night at 8PM ET/PT on NBC.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
