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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.”
Legendary Japanese drummer, YMO co-founder and music producer Yukihiro Takahashi passed away Jan. 11 at 5:59 a.m. Japan time. He was 70.
According to an announcement from his management, Takahashi had been diagnosed with a brain tumor in the summer of 2020, and had been in and out of hospital repeatedly after surgery while undergoing rehabilitation.
The pioneering musician had been recuperating at home since November, but his condition deteriorated at the end of the year and he passed away from aspiration pneumonia associated with his brain disease.
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Takahashi was born in Tokyo in 1952. He began his career as a studio musician in high school, and after playing in Sadistic Mika Band, he formed Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1978 with co-founders Haruomi Hosono and Ryuichi Sakamoto.
As a solo artist, he released 23 original albums, from Saravah! in 1978 to Life Anew in 2013. Along with his solo career, he also played in The Beatniks with Keiichi Suzuki, Sketch Show with Hosono, and pupa with Tomoyo Harada, Hiroshi Takano, and others. He was also known as a fashion designer.
A special concert celebrating Takahashi’s 50th anniversary in music took place in September last year, and while the iconic singer-songwriter had been scheduled to perform, he was unable to do so due to his illness.Following Takahashi’s death, a wave of musicians have paid tribute online including Orbital, Sparks, Erol Alkan, Junior Boys, Mouse on Mars, and 808 State.
A ceremony celebrating his life will be held at a later date.
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Written By D.L. Chandler , Senior Editor Posted 3 mins ago @dlchandler123 D.L. Chandler is a veteran of the Washington D.C. metro writing scene, working as a journalist, reporter, and culture critic. Initially freelancing at iOne Digital in 2010, he officially joined the iOne team in 2017 where he currently works as a Senior Editor […]
Written By D.L. Chandler , Senior Editor Posted 46 seconds ago @dlchandler123 D.L. Chandler is a veteran of the Washington D.C. metro writing scene, working as a journalist, reporter, and culture critic. Initially freelancing at iOne Digital in 2010, he officially joined the iOne team in 2017 where he currently works as a […]
Roslyn Singleton, who first shot to viral fame with her husband in 2020, passed away on Tuesday (Nov. 15) after a lengthy battle with brain cancer. She was 39.
“WELL DONE!! Our wife earned her wings yesterday while peacefully sleeping right at home where she wanted to be,” Ray Singleton shared on Instagram. “This road ahead is going to be INCREDIBLY long & difficult! She taught us all SOMETHING…She’s where we’re all trying to get one day so no need to be sad! Now we celebrate her legacy, her impact, her story & HER SPIRIT! She will LIVE FOREVER!!”
The singer’s sad announcement garnered responses in the comments section from famous faces like Dwyane Wade, H.E.R., D-Nice and more.
The Singletons’ story became well-known after Ray posted a viral video of himself singing to Roslyn as she prepared to go in for surgery to fight the cancer. The sweet video led to an interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and Ray later competed on Season 16 of America’s Got Talent, making it all the way to the Deliberations round.
During his audition for the NBC reality show, Ray brought Roslyn out to meet the judging panel and sang Andy Grammer’s “I Am Yours” to her. “Actually, the reason I’m here is because of my wife,” he told Simon Cowell and co. at the time. “She’s a U.S. Navy veteran. She is also a brain cancer survivor. And tonight, I am very happy to announce she is cancer free.”
Read Ray’s touching tribute to Roslyn and relive their emotional introduction on AGT below.