Tragically Young: CJ Harris, 'American Idol' Alum, Dies at 31

On January 15, 2023, fans of American Idol and CJ's family were thrown into mourning after the singer unexpectedly passed away in his early thirties.

According to reports, the artist seemed to suffer a heart attack and was taken by an ambulance to a local hospital in his hometown of Jasper, Alabama. Shortly after arriving at the emergency center, the crooner was pronounced dead.

CJ was among the most admired American Idol contestants in 2014, making it to the top six. During the singing competition, the late star struck a great relationship with Darius Rucker, who became his mentor.

Although CJ was successful on the show, his road to fame wasn't the smoothest. The singer first auditioned for The X-Factor and The Voice but was unsuccessful. However, he chose not to give up, turning to American Idol season 13, where he made a big impression.

The singer first auditioned in Tuscaloosa and then proceeded to Salt Lake City, Utah. There, CJ impressed the judges with his rendition of the Allman Brothers Band classic hit tune Soulshine.

Judge Keith Urban told the late contestant, "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."

After his audition, CJ sang Too Close, American Woman, and Free Fallin'. Sadly, the singer didn't get enough votes in the semi-finals. However, he was kept in the competition by the judges, who chose him as a wild card.

Eventually, CJ made it to sixth place before his elimination. Following his appearance on the show, CJ opened up about why he auditioned for American Idol.

According to him, he saw they were doing the bus tour and were to be 30 minutes down the road from him. So, he decided to give himself another chance at stardom.

CJ disclosed that he was confident as his voice had matured and his playing had improved. Thankfully, it all turned out well for CJ, who also found success after the show.

CJ performed with Darius at The Grand Ole Opry, which he would later reveal was a massive influence on his style. The young singer also played for audiences in the show's season 13 tour.

CJ's love for music began at a young age. At eight, he began learning how to play the guitar on a broken one he had received from his grandfather. Although it had only three strings, it was enough to get him hooked on music.

Besides learning how to play the guitar, CJ developed more skills by singing in the church choir and learning how to play the piano. In the end, the late crooner chose to go into music full-time.

Some of CJ's influences were John Legend, John Mayer, and Keith Urban. The deceased also recorded an album titled Small Town Boy as an independent musician before appearing on the show. May his soul rest in peace.