Willie Spence
Willie Spence | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Willie Spence |
| Born | June 18, 1999 West Palm Beach, Florida |
| Died | October 11, 2022 (aged 23) Jasper, Tennessee |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active | 2017–2022 |
Willie Spence (June 18, 1999 – October 11, 2022) was an American singer. He was a runner-up of Season 19 of American Idol at the age of 22.
Early life
Spence was born on June 18, 1999[1] in West Palm Beach, Florida and grew up in Douglas, Georgia after his family moved there.[2]
Musical career and American Idol
Spence posted online videos of him singing during his time in high school. In 2017, a video he had posted singing the Rihanna song "Diamonds" went viral on YouTube, eventually garnering over 15 million views.[2] This brought him significant attention, including an appearance on the talk show Steve, hosted by Steve Harvey.[3][2]
In 2021, Spence auditioned for season 19 of American Idol. His performances received a positive reception from the judges,[2] and Spence ended up placing second in the competition, only behind Chayce Beckham.[4]
Death
Spence was killed in a car crash on Interstate 24 near Chattanooga on October 11, 2022.[5] His death was reported by the Marion County Sheriff's Office.[6] According to WSB-TV in Atlanta, he was driving a Jeep Cherokee when he veered off I-24 at around 16:00 ET. His vehicle struck a car that was stopped on the shoulder of the road. The driver of that vehicle was not injured.[6]
The official Instagram account for American Idol reposted a video of Spence's audition for the show as a tribute.[2] Beckham and Katharine McPhee, a contestant on the show's fifth season who had previously performed with Spence, posted their own tributes to Spence on Instagram.[3][4]
References
- ^ "williespenceofficial". Twitter. Archived from the original on October 12, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e France, Lisa Respers (October 12, 2022). "Willie Spence, 'American Idol' Season 19 runner-up, dead at 23". CNN. Archived from the original on October 12, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
- ^ a b Keeley, Matt (October 12, 2022). "RIP Willie Spence: Tributes pour in for "American Idol" singer after crash". Newsweek. Archived from the original on October 13, 2022. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
- ^ a b Whitaker, Sterling (October 12, 2022). "Chayce Beckham Tributes 'American Idol' Star Willie Spence After Fatal Crash". Taste of Country. Townsquare Media. Archived from the original on October 13, 2022. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
- ^ "'American Idol' finalist dies in vehicle crash". CTV News. 2022-10-12. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
- ^ a b "Georgia-born American Idol star Willie Spence killed in car accident at 23". WSB-TV. October 12, 2022. Archived from the original on October 12, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2022.