Former 'American Idol' Contestant CJ Harris Dead At 31
Jan. 16 2023, Published 11:04 a.m. ET
Former American Idol contestant CJ Harris passed away over the weekend at 31 years old, RadarOnline.com can confirm.
Harris, who appeared on the popular singing competition in 2014, reportedly suffered a heart attack at his home in Jasper, Alabama on Sunday night.
According to a family member who spoke to TMZ on Monday morning, Harris was rushed to a nearby hospital but was declared dead shortly after.
The 31-year-old blew the crowd away when he appeared on American Idol nine years ago, and successfully became a semi-finalist during the competition’s 13th season.
“You sing because you have to sing, not ’cause you want to sing,” said Keith Urban after Harris performed an electrifying and beloved rendition of the Allman Brothers song Soulshine.
“And I mean that in the deepest way,” Urban added at the time. “And that’s why it’s so believable and real.”
During his stint on American Idol in 2014, Harris told the Hollywood Reporter how he decided to audition for the singing competition on a whim after he unsuccessfully auditioned for both The X-Factor and The Voice.
Before he knew it, Harris had passed his audition and found himself making it to the final six performers before being eliminated.
“I saw they were doing the bus tour and they were going to be 30 minutes down the road from me,” he explained. “I said: ‘You know what? I'm going to give it another chance.’”
“I've gotten so much better, my voice has matured and my playing has gotten so much better,” he continued at the time. “I'm 23, before you know it I'll be 33 and I want to give it another chance.”
After performing on American Idol, Harris found further success when he appeared with country legend Darius Rucker at The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.
Willie Spence
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As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Harris’ sudden passing from an apparent heart attack on Sunday came just months after American Idol runner-up Willie Spence passed away from injuries sustained in a fatal car accident in October.
According to investigators, Spence’s Jeep Cherokee crashed into the back of a tractor-trailer stopped on the shoulder of Interstate 24 in Marion County, Tennessee.
“We are devastated about the passing of our beloved American Idol family member, Willie Spence," the show said in a tweet at the time. “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.”
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