C.J. Harris, who was a former contestant on American Idol has passed away, reports NBC News. He was 31 years old.
According to the report, Harris was rushed to the hospital in Jasper, Alabama because of cardiac arrest on Sunday. Deputy Walker County Coroner Danielle Calloway said he suffered a heart attack and was pronounced dead at 8:53 p.m. on Sunday.
American Idol shared their condolences and fond memories of Harris on Twitter.
“C.J. Harris was an incredible talent, and the news of his passing deeply saddens us,” the tweet read. “He will be truly missed.”
Born in Jasper in 1991, Harris fell in love with his grandfather, who gave him his first guitar as a child. "He had one in the shed and it had three strings on it," Harris said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "He said I didn't need to buy a whole new set of strings. So I would tune it in a way that when I strummed it, it sounded like it's in a key of whatever."
In 2010, Harris auditioned for Idol but he did not make the cut. He also tried out for Fox's The X-Factor and NBC's The Voice. Showing his resilience, he auditioned for Idol again in 2014 and won the judges over with a stirring rendition of The Allman Brothers’ “Soul Shine.”
As one of the most popular performers of the show's 13th season, Harris came in sixth place during the competition. Following his time on Idol, he joined the show’s live tour; and at the renowned Grand Ole Opry House, he got a chance to play with one of his greatest musical influences, Darius Rucker, in 2014. Harris released his debut single “In Love" in 2019.
Jessica Meuse, who was also a contestant on Idol with Harris, paid tribute to him on Instagram.
"I’m completely shocked. Your talent and smile will be missed, and the world is definitely a darker and eerily quieter place without you in it. I’ll miss your random phone calls asking for life advice and talking about the music world. When you go through something like Idol together, it brings everyone involved together like a big, weird, dysfunctional family. I’m grateful that our paths crossed and that I can say you were (and always will be) a part of mine. There are a lot of things I realize I will never understand — you leaving us so soon is one of those things. Rest easy, friend. See you on the other side,” she wrote.
We at EBONY extend our prayers and deepest condolences to the family and friends of C.J. Harris.
