Former ‘American Idol’ contestant dead at 32 – NJ.com
Former American Idol contestant Douglas Kiker of Grand Bay, Ala., died at the age of 32. (ABC/Eric McCandless)ABCFormer ‘American Idol’ contestant, Doug Kiker, who previously worked as a garbage collector, has died. He was 32. No cause of death was given. His sister Angela announced on her Facebook page on Wednesday.“It is with a heavy heart that we have to announce the passing of my brother Douglas Kiker. He was sooo loved and will be missed by so many!,” she wrote. “Your singing with the Angels now, Bubba. Please pray for our family as we go through this very difficult time.”Donna Kiker Carrillos-Ramirez, Kiker’s second sister, also posted a tribute to him on her Facebook page. “Today I got the call that no one wants to get,” she wrote. “We lost an amazing person today. He had the biggest smile and knew how to make you laugh,” she said. “I know I didn’t raise him, but I have 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.”Kiker was a constant on the 18th season of American Idol’ in 2020. During his audition, he performed a cover of Rascal Flatts’ “Bless the Broken Road,” which caused judge Katy Perry to tear up. The singer was eliminated before making it to the top 20 but returned to sing his audition song with Rascal Flatts during the finale. In 2021, Kiker was arrested on charges of domestic violence.Related coverage:Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.Murjani Rawls may be reached at mrawls@njadvancemedia.comIf you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025).© 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us). The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local.Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site.YouTube’s privacy policy is available here and YouTube’s terms of service is available here.Ad Choices
Source: https://www.nj.com/entertainment/2025/03/former-american-idol-contestant-dead-at-32.html
