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Comedian Ralphie May dead at 45

Ralphie May, a comedian who first rose to fame on NBC's "Last Comic Standing," died Friday morning. He was 45.
Ralphie May performs at the 2015 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn. on June 13, 2015. (Photo by John Davisson/Invision/AP)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A spokeswoman for Ralphie May says the comedian has died. He was 45.

Ralphie May arrives at the Spike TV Video Game Awards at Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino, in Las Vegas on Dec. 7, 2007. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

In a statement Friday, publicist Stacey Pokluda says May died of cardiac arrest. She said he had been fighting pneumonia, which caused him to cancel a few appearances in the past month.

His body was found Friday morning at a private residence in Las Vegas.

On Wednesday, the round-faced May was named casino comedian of the year at the Global Gaming Expo. He was booked through the rest of 2017 at Harrah's Las Vegas.

May, a Tennessee native who was raised in Arkansas, parlayed a second-place finish on TV's "Last Comic Standing" in 2003 into TV and club appearances.

His publicist said May's survivors include his wife, Lahna Turner, and children April June and August James.

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