American Idol
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C.J. Harris’ cause of death was made public on Thursday (Jan. 19), less than a week after his sudden and tragic passing.
The singer died at just 31-years-old after suffering a heart attack on Sunday (Jan. 15), according to reporting by People. (Billboard has reached out to the Walker County Coroner’s Office in Harris’ native Alabama for confirmation.)
Harris first made waves across the nation by competing on Season 13 of American Idol in 2014, when he auditioned for judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and newcomer Harry Connick Jr. with a cover of “Soulshine” by The Allman Brothers Band. After earning his golden ticket, he progressed through Hollywood week and the semifinals to become one of the three Wild Card contenders to make the season’s crop of 13 finalists.
During the live shows, Harris often performed with his trusty guitar, churning out country-soul covers of Darius Rucker’s “Radio,” “Can’t You See” by Toy Caldwell of The Marshall Tucker Band, Hunter Hayes’ “Invisible,” The SteelDrivers’ “If It Hadn’t Been For Love” and more. Eventually, he was eliminated in sixth place behind eventual winner Caleb Johnson, runner-up Jena Irene and fellow finalists Alex Preston, Jessica Meuse and Sam Woolf.
Following his stint on Idol, Harris embarked on the post-season American Idols LIVE! Tour 2014 with the rest of the top 10 and even duetted with Rucker — one of his major inspirations — at the Grand Ole Opry. In 2016, the singer faced legal troubles after being arrested in a drug bust in Walker, Ala., where he was charged with three counts of alleged felony distribution of a controlled substance, including oxycodone and marijuana. His debut single, “In Love” was released in 2019, and just weeks before his death he hinted at new music he was planning to release later this year.
C.J. Harris, a singer who competed on the 2014 season of American Idol, died Sunday at age 31.
The Jasper, Alabama, native was reportedly rushed to a local hospital after suffering a medical emergency, according to Variety, and the Walker County Coroner’s Office later confirmed his death. However, no other details, including cause of death, were given as of press time.
Harris competed on season 13 of the singing competition, initially auditioning for judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. in Salt Lake City with a rendition of The Allman Brothers Band’s “Soulshine.” After making it through the Hollywood round, the hopeful was voted a Wild Card by the public in the semifinals and earned his way into the live shows with a soulful performance of Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home to Me.”
Some of Harris’ most memorable musical numbers during season 13’s live shows included “Radio” by Darius Rucker, Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’” and both “Waiting on the World to Change” and “Gravity” from John Mayer’s 2006 album Continuum. Eventually, the guitarist came in sixth place, being eliminated during Rock ‘n’ Roll / Country Week with dual performances of the Guess Who’s “American Woman” and Zac Brown Band’s “Whatever It Is.”
Harris toured with the rest of the season 13 finalists after Caleb Johnson was crowned that year’s winner over runner-up Jena Irene, and he released his debut single, titled “In Love,” back in 2019. Just weeks ago, Harris kicked off the new year by promising new music was “coming soon” with a smiling selfie on his Facebook page.
The American Idol Instagram account shared a Stories tribute to the late singer on Monday (Jan. 16), writing, “C.J. Harris was an incredible talent, and the news of his passing deeply saddens us. He will be truly missed.”
American Idol has lost one of its brightest contestants, and the show and its judges are speaking out about Willie Spence’s death.
The general American Idol account Instagram shared a video from his audition with Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan and Katy Perry. “We are devastated about the passing of our beloved American Idol family member, Willie Spence,” the show’s account captioned the video of the runner-up for the 2021 season. “He was a true talent who lit up every room he entered and will be deeply missed. We send our condolences to his loved ones.”
Idol also shared its condolence post to Twitter, which Bryan replied to with his deepest sympathies. “Willie really did light up every room he walked into. He could change the mood instantly when he started singing. He will truly be missed,” the country singer wrote.
Richie also shared his sadness and posted a video of the late star performing Adele’s “Set Fire to the Rain” on American Idol. “Your light will always shine in this world. We were so blessed to get a chance to see you shine,” he captioned the video. “My thoughts and prayers are with Willie’s family. Rest well my friend.”
Perry acknowledged Spence’s passing on Instagram as well, sharing Idol‘s Instagram post to her Story, and responding to the show’s post in the comments. “I love you Willie… purest soul,” she wrote. “Sing with the angels my darling.”
Host Ryan Seacrest also addressed the loss. Like the “Firework” singer, he also shared the show’s post, this time on Twitter. “Everybody on and off set loved him,” he tweeted. “@Williespence you’ll be deeply missed.”
Idol alum Katharine McPhee-Foster first shared the news of Spence’s death via an Instagram Story on Tuesday, and revealed the 23-year-old singer had died in a car accident.
See the Idol cast’s reactions to Spence’s death below.
We are devastated about the passing of our beloved American Idol family member, Willie Spence. He was a true talent who lit up every room he entered and will be deeply missed. We send our condolences to his loved ones. pic.twitter.com/QWrWqf7qQN— American Idol (@AmericanIdol) October 12, 2022
Willie really did light up every room he walked into. He could change the mood instantly when he started singing. He will truly be missed. https://t.co/XTqm65UJu0— Luke Bryan (@lukebryan) October 12, 2022
Willie Spence marked second place during his run on the 2021 season of American Idol. Still, he was known as one of the most notable singers to come out of the show with powerhouse covers from artists that include Rihanna, Beyonce, Adele, Coldplay and more.
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Unfortunately, the 23-year-old lost his life in a car accident while driving back to Atlanta from Tennessee on Tuesday (Oct. 12). He reportedly crashed into a tractor-trailer parked on the side of the road, TMZ reported. However, it was local news site Douglas Now that was first to report the news about the crash.
The news was also shared by his fellow Idol alum Katharine McPhee-Foster, who took to her Instagram story on Tuesday (Oct. 11) to share her condolences. “Only 23 years old. Life is so unfair, and nothing is ever promised,” she wrote. “God rest your soul Willie. It was a pleasure to sing with you and to know you.”
McPhee and Spence rocked the Idol house during a duet of Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli’s “The Prayer” during season 19.
Additionally, Idol paid tribute to Spence by posting a video featuring the singer’s audition with the message: “We are devastated about the passing of our beloved American Idol family member, Willie Spence. He was a true talent who lit up every room he entered and will be deeply missed. We send our condolences to his loved ones.”
In honor of Spence’s life and legacy, Billboard put together a list of his rocking performances during his time on Idol. Check them out below.
“Diamonds,” Rihanna
“Stay,” Rihanna ft. Mikky Ekko
“Glory,” Common & John Legend
“Stand Up,” Harriet
“I Was Here,” Beyoncé
“Set Fire To The Rain,” Adele
“Stand Up,” Cynthia Ervio
“Wind Beneath My Wings,” Bette Midler
“A Change Is Gonna Come,” Sam Cooke
“Circle of Life,” The Lion King
“Diamonds,” Rihanna
“Rather Be,” Clean Bandit & Jess Glynne
“Yellow,” Coldplay
“What They’ll Say About Us,” FINNEAS
“Never Be Alone,” Willie Spence
“You Are The Reason,” Leona Lewis & Calum Scott
“Georgia on My Mind,” Ray Charles
“You Are So Beautiful,” Joe Cocker