Rising stand-up comedian Ken Flores died on Tuesday, just two days before he was scheduled to perform in Arizona.
The comedian, born Kenyi Flores, died from currently unknown causes on Tuesday, according to online records from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner reviewed by USA TODAY.
Flores’ family mourned his death on Wednesday in a statement posted to Instagram.
“It is with great sadness that we confirm the untimely passing of our friend, brother, and son, Kenyi Flores,” the statement read. “Please respect our privacy at this time as we are all shocked and devastated by this loss.”
Here’s what to know about Flores.
Who was Ken Flores?
The Chicago native got his comedic start in his teens by posting videos on YouTube, with some of his clips going viral on WorldStarHipHop, according to Flores’ 2023 interview with The Comedy Gazelle. While working as a bank teller in his early 20s, Flores said he was encouraged by the owner of The Comedy Shrine to perform at the Aurora venue’s open mic event.
“If you get that one big pop, you get bit by the stand-up bug and you’re addicted,” Flores told the outlet. “Ever since I went up the first time, I couldn’t stop.”
Regarding his career aspirations, Flores told The Comedy Gazelle that he wanted to “tour for the rest of my life, write new material, and make people happy.”
“There’s a lot of people like me around the world that think like me, and we just don’t have a voice,” Flores said. “There are Latino comics, like Gabriel Iglesias, but he’s not like me. He didn’t grow up in the hood. He wasn’t a drug addict. He didn’t grow up like me, so he doesn’t speak for me.
“But there’s a lot of people that I can speak for that don’t really have a voice in comedy. One of the things that makes me the happiest is when people tell me, ‘This is the first time I’ve ever gone to a comedy show. I relate to all your (stuff), bro, and I had to come see it.’ “
Ken Flores was set to perform in Phoenix
Flores’ was scheduled to perform Thursday at the Desert Ridge Improv in Phoenix, according to his official website.
The venue shared a post on Facebook on Wednesday mourning the death of the comedian.
“The entire comedy community is at a loss for words today and we can’t believe that such a bright star isn’t shining anymore,” the post read. “We just wish we could hear Ken’s laughter one more time tomorrow night at the Desert Ridge Improv. RIP Kenyi.”
He launched his headlining Butterfly Effect Tour on Jan. 10 in Portland, Oregon. He was scheduled to tour through April, visiting cities like Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Austin, Texas; and San Diego through April.
