Douglas Kiker, Viral ‘American Idol’ Contestant Who Made Katy Perry Tear Up at Audition, Dies at 32 – Variety
By
J. Kim Murphy
Douglas Kiker, a contestant on “American Idol” Season 18 who memorably moved series judge Katy Perry to tears with his audition performance, has died. He was 32 years old. Kiker’s sisters, Angela Evans and Donna Kiker Carrillos-Ramirez, confirmed the news on Facebook Wednesday evening. A cause of death was not disclosed.
“It is with a heavy heart that we have to announce the passing of my brother Douglas Kiker,” wrote Evans. “He was sooo loved and will be missed by so many! Your singing with the Angel’s now Bubba Please pray for our family as we go threw this very difficult time.”
“Today I got the call that no one wants to get,” Carrillos-Ramirez wrote. “We lost an amazing person today. He had the biggest smile and knew how to make you laugh. I know I didn’t raise him but I never stopped loving him. My parents did an amazing job with him. Douglas Kiker you will forever be missed. Fly high. Say hey to grandma.”
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Kiker had a memorable spotlight in his 2020 “American Idol” audition at the start of Season 18, performing a cover of Rascal Flatts’ “Bless the Broken Road” that impressed judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, who accompanied the contestant on piano. Katy Perry found herself moved to tears.
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“I want us all to let you know that you’re a hell of a man,” Richie told Kiker. The contestant was known as “The Singing Garbage Man” among his peers in Alabama, with the moniker catching on among the show’s regulars. Although Kiker was eliminated shortly after, he made an appearance in the Season 18 finale with a virtual performance amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
A year after his “American Idol” appearances, Kiker was arrested in May 2021 and charged with domestic violence.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched by Carrillos-Ramirez, seeking donations to help cover funeral expenses for Kiker: “Thank you for your love, support, and generosity during this incredibly difficult time. We greatly appreciate each and everyone of yall.”
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Source: https://variety.com/2025/music/obituaries-people-news/doug-kiker-dead-american-idol-1236336873/
