‘American Idol’ Alum C.J. Harris Dead At 31
on Jan 16, 2023
C.J. Harris, the singer who appeared on American Idol‘s 13th season, has died at the age of 31.
TMZ was the first to report the news saying that a family member shared that C.J. “suffered an apparent heart attack” Sunday (January 15). He was transported to Walker Baptist Medical Center in Jasper, Alabama, via ambulance, but CPR efforts were unsuccessful.
C.J. Harris appeared on American Idol in 2014. He auditioned for judges Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick Jr. with a cover of “Soulshine” by the Allman Brothers Band. The judges voted unanimously to send Harris through to the Hollywood round of the competition.
Harris continued to wow the judges with flawless performances throughout his American Idol run. After failing to secure enough public votes to continue competing in the semi-finals, the judges gave C.J. a wild card position. He was ultimately eliminated after a 6th place finish.
Following American Idol, C.J. Harris performed at the Grand Ole Opry alongside Darius Rucker. In the years since, Harris regularly shared videos of his music on YouTube and TikTok.
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Some of C.J.’s fellow American Idol competitors shared grief and shock over the news of his passing. Alex Preston, who earned a third place finish on the same season as C.J., wrote: “RIP CJ. I cant believe this, I woke up and thought it was a dream. I love you dude. I’ll always remember the good times we all had.”
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Shelby Z, also an American Idol alum and fellow Alabama native, remembered Harris in a post that read, “I can’t describe the heaviness I am feeling right now. We have played shows together before anyone knew our names. But I know that you have accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and savior.”
Read more tributes to C.J. Harris below.
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