'Johnny Carson' Regular The Amazing Kreskin Dead at 89

The Amazing Kreskin Dead at 89 ... Claimed Johnny Carson Based Character on Him

The Amazing Kreskin -- the world-renowned mentalist with connections to some of the biggest stars in show business -- has died ... according to a statement posted to his social media.

Kreskin's social media accounts posted a statement late Tuesday ... explaining the star passed away in the middle of the holiday season he loved so much.

According to the post, Kreskin decorated his house with numerous decorations and multiple Christmas trees each year -- and hosted lavish Christmas parties where he regaled guests with "Ave Maria."

The statement ends in the same way Kreskin ended his shows ... explaining this wasn't truly goodbye -- but a "To be continued."

Ryan Galway -- Kreskin's manager -- confirmed the news to The Hollywood Reporter ... saying Kreskin passed away at his New Jersey home Tuesday. He did not reveal a cause of death.

Kreskin, real name George Kresge, rose to fame in the 1960s and '70s with numerous television appearances on shows like "The Mike Douglas Show," "The Mervin Griffin Show," and his own syndicated program, "The Amazing World of Kreskin."

However, many fans will remember him for his dozens of performances on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" ... where he showed off his skills 88 times over the years.

Kreskin also claimed that Johnny Carson based perhaps his most famous character -- Carnac the Magnificent, a clairvoyant who wore a turban and would provide joking predictions by using "magic" to peer inside an envelope -- on him.

While Kreskin was convinced he was the basis for the character -- others argued Carson used an old Steve Allen sketch to come up with the character.

Kreskin performed all over the world, wrote several books, helped boxers with mental training, and created a dating website for people who loved the supernatural during his life ... though he always maintained he was a mentalist, and didn't use occult magic to perform.

We caught up with The Amazing Kreskin back in 2017 ... where he told us about his biggest win at a casino -- and, why he wasn't welcome to sit down in U.S.-based gaming establishments.

Kreskin was 89.

RIP