CJ Harris, who found fame on American Idol in 2014, passed away yesterday at the age of 31. Harris, a 2010 graduate of Walker High School, gave credit to his grandfather as a mentor after working for him during the summer as a kid according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Harris said he was influenced by Usher, Keith Sweat, Darius Rucker, John Mayer, The Allman Brothers Band and Keith Urban.
After unsuccessful attempts at his shot for The Voice and The X-Factor, Harris ventured to Tuscaloosa for a bus stop audition for American Idol and found himself in Salt Lake City for in person auditions.
“I saw they were doing the bus tour and they were going to be 30 minutes down the road from me. I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to give it another chance. I’ve gotten so much better, my voice has matured and my playing has gotten so much better. I’m 23, before you know it I’ll be 33 and I want to give it another chance,” Harris told the reporter.
Shortly after his time on American Idol, Harris reunited with Darius Rucker for a performance at The Grand Ole Opry, participated in American Idol‘s season 13 tour, and performed at the 2014 Foothills Festival in Jasper. He then moved to Nashville, where he became roommates with his fellow season 13 finalists Alex Preston and Sam Woolf. In a post-Idol interview, Harris said that his preferred musical direction would be “a mix between country, blues, soul and Southern rock.” In 2019, he released his debut single, “In Love”.
Harris was also a standout athlete at Walker High School, playing football for John Holladay.
