C.J. Harris, who finished sixth on American Idol’s 13th season in 2014, has passed away. He was 31.
Harris passed away on Sunday after being taken to the Walker Baptist Medical Center in Jasper, Alabama, a Walker County Coroner spokeswoman confirms to PEOPLE. The attempt at CPR was ineffective.
The news was initially reported by TMZ.
Harris’s fellow Idol contestant Jessica Meuse paid tribute to the celebrity on Instagram.
“Your talent and smile will be missed, and the world is definitely a darker and eerily quieter place without you in it,” she wrote. “I’ll miss your random phone calls asking for life advice and talking about the music world… There are a lot of things I realize I will never understand — you leaving us so soon is one of those things.”
The performer initially appeared on an American Idol bus tour in Tuscaloosa, and then in Salt Lake City, she sang for judges Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez, and Harry Connick Jr.
He received three votes for Hollywood for his rendition of the Allman Brothers’ hit “Soulshine,” which he dedicated to his father. He also delivered memorable renditions of other hits like “Can’t You See” by The Marshall Tucker Band and “If It Hadn’t Been for Love” by The SteelDrivers.
At the moment, his burial site is undisclosed. Expect updates as soon as details are revealed. Our condolences go to the family.
