Jay Jay Phillips, 'America's Got Talent' Contestant, Dead at 30 From COVID-19

Jay Jay Phillips, a heavy metal musician who appeared twice on America's Got Talent, has died. He was 30 years old.

His band, Mettal Maffia, confirmed the sad news on Tuesday on Instagram. According to TMZ, Phillips was battling COVID-19 during Thanksgiving week at home and took a turn for the worse the day before the holiday, and was found dead in his home on Thanksgiving by his girlfriend and her mother. A family member told the outlet that he was not vaccinated, but was telling people before he got sick that he was planning to get the shot soon.

Mettal Maffia shared a picture of Phillips with angel wings and a halo, playing his electric keyboard.

"It is with great sadness we inform you all of the loss of our bandmate/brother/and friend @jayjayrocks," the post read. "It still doesn’t feel real and we would give anything to change it. 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," the post continued. "Thank you for teaching us all to laugh a little more. Rock in Paradise 💚."

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A post shared by Mettal Maffia (@mettalmaffiaofficial)

Phillips first competed on America's Got Talent on season 4 in 2009. He appeared again on season 12 in 2017 and made it much farther in the competition, but was eliminated before the quarterfinals. Check out his 2017 audition below, which impressed judges Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Mel B and Heidi Klum.