Rosario Monachino
American Idol contestant CJ Harris has died aged 31.
Harris shot to fame after impressing judges Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick Jr on season 13 of the singing competition.
Harris found success on American Idol after appearing on The Voice and X Factor.
Tragically, his family has announced that the former contestant has passed away.
Find out more information about CJ Harris’ death below…
The singer, whose real name was Curtis, appeared on American Idol in 2014, where he finished sixth place.
This led to him performing at the famous Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, which has previously housed iconic names such as Dolly Parton.
A family member told TMZ that he suffered an apparent heart attack in his hometown of Jasper, Alabama.
He was taken to Walker Baptist Medical Centre by ambulance but was sadly pronounced dead shortly after arriving.
Fans of the singer have taken to social media to pay tribute to Harris.
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One person wrote: “God rest his soul, shame when it’s a young man like this.”
“So completely tragic and heartbreaking,” added another.
A third person expressed: “That is so sad! He is so young! Condolences to his family.”
Someone else commented: “Pray for his family, and express gratitude for the gifts CJ Harris left behind.”
“My heart goes out to his family in their grief,” a fifth said.
Meanwhile, Jessica Meuse, who competed on season 13 of American Idol alongside Harris, also shared a heartfelt tribute.
She wrote: “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.
“There are a lot of things I realize I will never understand – you leaving us so soon is one of those things.”
Another fellow contestant, Casey Thrasher, posted on Facebook: “Our friendship was something truly special, a bond very different from any other friendship in my life.
“We clicked from the moment we met and the whole nation got to share in that bond with us… two country boys from Alabama with identical stories.
“We flew on planes together, we were roommates the entire show, we laughed together, we cried together.
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“Let your soulshine brother. I’ll see you.”
He wowed the American Idol judges with his rendition of ‘Soulshine’, which was previously sung by the Allman Brothers Band.
Urban told Harris after his audition: “You sing ’cause you have to sing, not ’cause you want to sing.
“And, I mean that in the deepest way. And, that’s why it’s so believable and real.”
He then made it to the final six before getting eliminated.
Harris previously spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about auditioning for the show.
C.J. Harris was an incredible talent, and the news of his passing deeply saddens us. He will be truly missed. pic.twitter.com/23s6acSUZp
— American Idol (@AmericanIdol) January 16, 2023
He told the outlet: “I saw they were doing the bus tour and they were going to be 30 minutes down the road from me.
“I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to give it another chance.
“‘I’ve gotten so much better, my voice has matured and my playing has gotten so much better.
“‘I’m 23, before you know it I’ll be 33 and I want to give it another chance’.”
Rest In Peace, CJ Harris. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.
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