American Idol star CJ Harris reportedly died from a suspected heart attack on January 15, 2023 at a hospital in Jasper, Alabama. He was 31.
Harris’ death was confirmed by a family member to TMZ on January 16, 2023.
The artist was rushed to a local hospital on Sunday night but did not survive, a family member told the outlet.
Born January 28, 1991, Harris spent his summers working for his grandfather, whom he credits as a mentor.
At age 8, he began learning the guitar on a broken one gifted to him by his grandfather; it only had three strings. Harris also plays piano and his singing was mostly self-taught.
Harris rose to prominence after auditioning for FOX’s American Idol in 2014 where he wowed the judges with a rousing rendition of Allman Brother’s Band Soulshine.
The singer was chosen by the panel as a ‘wildcard’ in the semi-finals of the thirteenth season of American Idol and finished sixth on the show.
Previously, he had auditioned for The Voice and The X-Factor but was not successful.
Following American Idol, CJ went on to perform several shows including performing at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville with American singer Darius Rucker, who became his mentor.
In 2019, Harris released his debut single, “In Love”.