American Idol judges mourn Willie Spence death

American Idol 2021 runner-up Willie Spence recently passed away in a car accident at the age of 23. The incident occurred in Tennessee on October 11 when his vehicle hit a stopped car on the shoulder of the road. Judges of the show – Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie paid their tributes to the late singer.

American Idol’s official social media accounts reposted the audition clips of Spence, captioning, “We are devastated about the passing of our beloved American Idol family member, Willie Spence. He was a true talent who lit up every room he entered and will be deeply missed. We send our condolences to his loved ones.”

Also Read | Willie Spence, former American Idol star, dies in car accident: Report

Lionel Richie, the 73-year-old musician, shared a clip of Spence on Instagram and wrote; “Your light will always shine in this world. We were so blessed to get a chance to see you shine. My thoughts and prayers are with Willie’s family. Rest well my friend.”

American country singer Luke Bryan, who has been a judge of the show since 2018, also paid his respects to the late singer, writing, “Willie really did light up every room he walked into. He could change the mood instantly when he started singing. He will truly be missed.”

Singer-songwriter Katy Perry who also joined as a judge in 2018 called Spence ‘the purest soul’ in an Instagram comment, adding, “I love you Willie. … Sing with the angels my darling.”

Also Read | Willie Spence: Career, family, age, net worth

Respects poured in from fans as well as other former contestants of the show. Katharine McPhee, a former contestant who made a guest appearance on the reality show and performed a duet with Spence, was the first to confirm the news via her Instagram Story. “I received very tragic news tonight,” she wrote with a clip of her and Spence in 2021