American Idol Alum Has Passed Away At 31
American Idol alum C.J. Harris, who placed sixth on the show’s 13th season in 2014, has died. He was 31.
A spokesperson for the Walker County Coroner confirms to PEOPLE that Harris died on Sunday after he was rushed to the Walker Baptist Medical Center in Jasper, Alabama. CPR efforts were unsuccessful.
The musician first auditioned for American Idol on a Tuscaloosa bus tour, then sang before judges Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez, and Harry Connick Jr. in Salt Lake City. His take on the Allman Brothers hit “Soulshine,” which he dedicated to his father, earned him three votes for Hollywood, and he later had memorable performances of hits like “Can’t You See” by The Marshall Tucker Band and “If It Hadn’t Been for Love” by The SteelDrivers.
After his time on the show, Harris performed with Darius Rucker at the Grand Ole Opry and released the single “In Love” in 2019. He regularly shared videos of him singing and playing guitar on TikTok and Instagram, and in October, wrote on Facebook that he was working on new music in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Sad news. RIP C.J.
