Willie Spence
Willie Spence | |
|---|---|
| Years active | 2017–2022 |
| Born | June 18, 1999 West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | October 11, 2022 (aged 23) Jasper, Tennessee |
| Occupation | Singer |
Willie Spence (June 18, 1999 – October 11, 2022) was an American singer. He was the runner-up of the nineteenth season of American Idol at the age of 21.
Background
[edit]Spence was born on June 18, 1999,[1] in West Palm Beach, Florida and grew up in Douglas, Georgia northeast of Valdosta, Georgia, after his family moved to Douglas.[2]
He posted videos of him singing while in high school. In 2017, a video he had posted singing the Rihanna song "Diamonds" went viral on YouTube, receiving over 38 million views.[2] He found significant attention, including an appearance on the talk show Steve, hosted by Steve Harvey.[2][3] In 2021, Spence auditioned for the nineteenth season of American Idol. The judges gave him a positive reception ,[2] and Spence placed second in the competition behind Chayce Beckham.[4]
Death
[edit]Spence was killed in a car crash on Interstate 24 near Chattanooga on October 11, 2022, at 23 years old.[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 and veered off I-24 at around 4:00PM ET. His vehicle struck a tractor-trailer which was parked on the shoulder of the road. The truck driver 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 performed with Spence on the program, posted tributes to Spence on Instagram.[3][4]
Dustin Poirier tribute
[edit]On June 1st 2024, at UFC 302, Dustin Poirier paid his respects to Spence using his "Diamonds" by Rihanna cover as his walkout music entering the octagon.
References
[edit]- ^ "williespenceofficial". Twitter. Archived from the original on October 12, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2022.[self-published]
- ^ 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 October 12, 2022.
- ^ 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.
| Authority control databases: Artists |
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