Comedian Ralphie May Dies at 45

Extraordinarily sad news comes our way this afternoon: Comedian and longtime Nashvillian Ralphie May has died. The comic, who had been battling pneumonia in recent weeks, suffered a cardiac arrest. His body was discovered Friday at a private residence in Las Vegas. He was 45.

May was born in Chattanooga and entered the national spotlight in 2003, when he finished in second place during the first season of NBC's Last Comic Standing. He became known for his unapologetic, playfully crass and often self-deprecating material, his prolific Twitter presence and his workmanlike tour schedule. May was in Vegas for a residency at Harrah's, and he tweeted about performing despite being sick with a fever as recently as last weekend.

May was a gifted performer and, by all accounts, a graceful and warm-hearted person. This one is a real heartbreaker. May's reps have posted a statement on the comic's official Facebook page. See all of that below.

We are heartbroken to announce the untimely death of our friend, Ralphie May. Ralphie had been battling pneumonia and had cancelled a handful of dates over the last month in an effort to recover. Earlier this morning at a private residence in Las Vegas his body was discovered, cause of death is cardiac arrest.

Two days ago he won the Casino Comedian of the Year at the Global Gaming Expo and had performances throughout the remainder of 2017 as part of his residency at Harrah's Las Vegas.

May is survived by his wife Lahna Turner and children April June May and August James May.