American Idol Star Deaths You May Not Know About

For the better part of a decade, "American Idol" was the biggest thing in American pop culture — the most-watched TV series year after year during its 2000s run on Fox that also operated as a factory for likable, relatable, and mega-selling pop stars. Sadly, many of those aspiring singers and would-be rock stars didn't get much of a chance to build long careers and musical legacies because they died suddenly and tragically not long after their high-finishing, star-making turns on "American Idol." 

Dedicated "Idol" viewers may feel like they really got to know these striving young talents during their time on "American Idol," watching their stories, listening to them sing, and then voting to advance them in the reality TV contest. There's a true, widespread sense of loss when these musicians die tragic and untimely deaths. Here are all those across the long history of "American Idol" whose deaths may have gone under-reported.

Even before his very successful run on "American Idol" in 2021, Willie Spence was already famous for his singing. While still in high school, his self-made YouTube video of himself singing Rihanna's "Diamonds" became a viral hit, amassing more than 30 million views. Spence then breezed through every stage of the "American Idol" process, almost winning Season 19, finishing in second place behind Chayce Beckham.

On the afternoon of October 11, 2022, Spence was driving his Jeep on Interstate 24 in Tennessee when he suddenly lost control of the vehicle and struck the rear end of a semi-truck stopped on the highway's shoulder. Upon arrival, authorities pronounced Spence dead, and the Marion County Medical Examiner's office would cite "multi-system trauma due to motor vehicle accident" (according to NBC News) as the cause of death. Tragically numbering among the famous people killed in car crashes, the singer was 23 years old. "Willie really did light up every room he walked into," "American Idol" judge Luke Bryan wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "He could change the mood instantly when he started singing. He will truly be missed."

One of the youngest ever "American Idol" contestants, 17-year-old Seattle singer Leah LaBelle, made it to the final, televised, single-elimination episodes of the show in its 2004 season. A wild card pick by judge Paula Abdul, LaBelle got eliminated after reaching the top 12 and covering Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" and the Supremes "You Keep Me Hangin' On." LaBelle joined major hip-hop label So So Def Recordings and released multiple EPs, albums, and singles for the label, including a self-titled 2012 effort produced by Pharrell Williams and Jermaine Dupri.

In the early morning hours of January 31, 2018, LaBelle was riding in a Range Rover driven by her husband, former NBA player Rasual Butler. He lost control of the car, which reached a speed as much as three times the legal limit in the area, and ran into multiple parking meters and then a wall of a strip mall in Studio City, California. Both Butler and LaBelle died in the single-car accident. One of the many sports stars we lost in 2018, Butler was 38; LaBelle was 31.

Rickey Smith passed his second "American Idol" audition for Season 2, belting out Brian McKnight's "One Last Cry." He lasted well into the final rounds, ultimately finishing in eighth place in the 2003 season that culminated in a win for Ruben Studdard. After his time on "American Idol," Smith worked on an album in Los Angeles, but after it never materialized, he moved back home to Oklahoma and self-released a compilation of his songs. He found a job singing professionally, serenading customers with "Happy Birthday" at an Oklahoma City sports bar. "I've made peace with it, but it's still frustrating," Smith told USA Today of his career trajectory in 2008.

In May 2016, Smith was driving on I-240 near Oklahoma City when his car was struck by a drunk driver moving in the wrong direction. Smith was pronounced dead at the scene, dying from several blunt force injuries. The "American Idol" standout was 36 years old. "He was such a great person with such an amazing spirit. Every part of my 'American Idol' experience has Rickey Smith in it," Studdard told Billboard. "He was my friend and my brother and I love him."

Joanne Borgella utilized many reality shows to advance her various career goals. In 2005, she won the first season of Oxygen's plus-sized beauty pageant and modeling series "Mo'Nique's Fat Chance." That landed Borgella a modeling contract and high-profile work as the face of campaigns for Torrid, Ashley Stewart, and Kohls. But Borgella also wanted to be a singer, and in Season 7 of "American Idol," she made it into the round of the top 24 singers. Borgella performed Dionne Warwick's "I Say a Little Prayer" on television, but it wasn't enough to stave off elimination before the finals.

In the fall of 2013, doctors diagnosed Borgella with endometrial cancer, and she openly documented her treatments on her social media accounts. By October 2013, the cancer had metastasized, moving into other parts of the singer's body. Radiation treatments proved ineffective, and Borgella died in October 2014 at the age of 32.

While "American Idol" served as a vehicle to discover, promote, and elevate young and not-yet-famous singers, it didn't mean that contestants were necessarily unknown or inexperienced. Marque "Tate" Lynche, for example, auditioned for the 2004 third season of "American Idol" a decade after his work as a cast member on the Disney Channel's "The All New Mickey Mouse Club." After singing, dancing, and mugging alongside future stars like Ryan Gosling and Britney Spears, Lynche so expertly delivered a cover of "Wind Beneath My Wings" that judges advanced him into the competition's round of 32 standouts, but he just missed making it into the group of 12 finalists.

On December 6, 2015, Lynche's roommate discovered the singer unresponsive at their New York City apartment. Authorities were called to the scene, and they pronounced Lynche dead. He was 34 years old. Three months later, the office of the New York City Chief Medical Examiner published its autopsy findings, ruling that Lynche died from the effects of chronic alcoholism.

"American Idol" revived the career of early '90s pop sensation and dancer Paula Abdul, who served on the talent show's judge panel. The contest held open auditions where Abdul's appearance was required, which opened her up to exposure to an overly fixated follower named Paula Goodspeed. "She had been a stalker fan for about 17 years," Abdul said on "The View" (via the New York Post) in 2008. "It wasn't until 'American Idol' that she ever knew how to get to me." Goodspeed showed up to an "American Idol" open call in 2005, and advanced to the third round of auditions where she'd sing for the show's on-air judges and have her performance taped for broadcast. "I really like Paula Abdul a lot. She's very cool. I'm a really big fan. I make life-size drawings of Paula," Goodspeed told "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest (via ABC News).

Goodspeed didn't progress any farther in the competition. She did, however, reportedly track Abdul to her home in Sherman Oaks, California, and continued to stalk the "Idol" judge. In November 2008, Goodspeed's body was discovered in a car not far from Abdul's house. The troubled one-time "American Idol" contestant died by suicide at the age of 30.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues or is struggling or in crisis, contact the relevant resources below:

• Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
• Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.