entertainment

Celebrity impersonator Ken Maeda dies at 44

5 Comments

Celebrity impersonator Ken Maeda died early Tuesday after he suddenly collapsed on a street in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward on Sunday night. He was 44.

According to police, Maeda vomited and collapsed on the street at around 7 p.m. on Sunday. Fuji TV reported that he was in a state of cardiac arrest when an ambulance arrived. He was taken to hospital but never regained consciousness and passed away at around 1:35 a.m. Tuesday.

Maeda was known for his comical impersonation of idol singer Aya Matsuura. Aside from his impersonations, Maeda was also starting an acting career and was a talented choreographer.

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5 Comments
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Lots of personalities are just dropping dead worldwide. This could be the saddest year of celebrity death.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I enjoyed watching his lip sync impersonation of Ayaya when he first came out. Definitely inspired Naomi Watanabe, the girl who does a lip sync impersonation of Beyonce among others. Despite the fact that he was a one hit wonder, he seemed to be starting to do very well. The way he died is very sad, and at the young age of 44. RIP Ken Maeda.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I wonder if he was diabetic. I had a diabetic coworker years ago who just started staring during a meeting. He didn't respond or even move when we shouted at him. Then he vomited. We drove him to the hospital ourselves, and his blood sugar level was almost zero. If that had happened while he was alone, he would have died.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

According to reports, the cause was ischemic heart disease (coronary artery disease)... :-( He may have been a one-hit wonder in terms of television, but he was seen as a multi-talented performer with a strong career off-screen, and much respected by his fellow entertainers. TYTD.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

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