CJ Harris, the former American Idol contestant who died Sunday in his hometown of Jasper, Alabama, suffered a fatal heart attack, the Walker County Coroner’s Office confirmed to Deadline.
Harris, 31, was taken to the hospital but CPR efforts proved fruitless.
The singer, born Curtis Harris, was a Top 6 contestant on American Idol in 2014, wowing judges and audiences ahead of the semifinals with soulful renditions of southern rock hits “Soulshine” (by the Allman Brothers Band) and “Can’t You See” (by The Marshall Tucker Band).
Despite advancing to the semifinals, Harris was eliminated in the sixth round on April 24, 2014. The winner of the year was Caleb Johnson.
After his idol season, Harris continued his music career and released his debut single with the song “In Love” in 2019.
After his death, American Idol released a statement that read, “CJ Harris was an incredible talent and we are deeply saddened by the news of his passing. He will really be missed.”
Jessica Meuse, one of Harris’ competitors on the show, paid tribute to him on Instagram, writing, “Your talent and smile will be missed and the world is definitely a darker and eerily calmer place without you.” I will miss your occasional phone calls asking for life advice and talking about the music world. When you go through something like Idol together, it brings everyone involved together like one big, weird, dysfunctional family. I am grateful that our paths crossed and that I can say that you were (and always will be) a part of me. There are a lot of things that I realize I’ll never understand – your leaving us so soon is one of those things. Rest in peace, friend. We’ll see you on the other side.”