Willie Spence became an instant sensation after he sang Rihanna’s hit song Diamond on season 19 of American idol. As it is, there were many expectations that the 23-year-old who went viral on Youtube with the same song while still in High school would have a long successful music career.
However, his life was cut short when he died on October 11, 2022, after suffering from a car crash.
Every Fact About Willie Spence That No One Told You About
1. A Look At Willie Spence Early Life
He was born in West Palm Beach on June 18, 1999, to Sharon Spence and Willie Spence Sr. However, he and his family later moved to Douglas, Georgia when he was in second grade where he grew up with two older sisters, Kendra Spence Wester and Tyerra.
He started singing at the age of two and was influenced by his mother, also a singer. Over the years, he shared their singing videos on his social media page.
2. The West Palm Beach Native Became Popular After a Viral YouTube Video
Apparently, Spence started singing at a young age. Dating back to when he was still in High School, he shared videos of himself singing. As it is one such video, a cover of Rihanna’s successful song, Diamonds caught the attention of many when he uploaded it in 2017.
Not long after, the video started generating views reaching 15 million. In fact, the video’s popularity earned him an invitation to talk shows such as Steve Harvey’s Steve.
3. He Was a Contestant on Season 19 of American Idol
During his audition, he still sang Diamond and like the reactions trailing his viral video, he was soon selected.
Willie’s time on the musical reality series American Idol brought him great acclaim due to his stellar singing. He joined the show which ran from February 14, 2021, alongside 24 other contestants.
While he started showcasing his singing as a member of the first group of the Showstopper round, his singing captivated the attention of many with his rendition of songs like Beyonce’s I Was Here and John Legend’s All of Me and Adele’s Set Fire to the Rain.
4. The American Idol Star Finished as a Runner Up
He had many successful presentations that eventually pushed him to the last stage of the competition while making him one of the fan favorites.
Despite having one of the highest votes, it did not garner enough votes to make him the winner. Thus, Spence finished as the runner-up behind Chayce Backham.
While reacting to the outcome of the show, Spence who was 20 years old at the time was full of hope that he would one day win a Grammy.
5. The American Idol star Lost Over 200 Pound Before He Auditioned
The singer may have shone while on the stage of American Idol, yet behind this was a man who had battled weight issues.
Prior to auditioning for the show, Willie went on a drastic weight loss journey due to health challenges. He had a health scare when doctors found fluid in his lungs. This resulted in him paying more attention to his health and by extension his weight. In fact, he embarked on a weight loss journey that cut his weight from 600 pounds to 400.
At the time he appeared on the show, his story was so touching when he shared how his diet contributed to the weight loss to one of the judges, Ryan Seacrest.
6. Willie Spence Surprised Students at his Sister’s School
Having promised to work hard at the time he competed on American Idol, Spence surprised the students at Renaissance Charter School, a school his sister Kendra works as a principal to encourage them.
7. The 23-year-old was Looking Forward to Singing in London
Moving on from his time on American Idol, Willie Spence revealed that he had been working on releasing his work but could not do so because he was concentrating on his health.
The admired Idol star was encouraged by his teaming fans to concentrate on his health first.
Thankfully, the singer continued to sing despite not releasing an album. He released So Gone which was also accompanied by a music video.
Not long after, he collaborated with Briana Moir to make the cover of The Living Years in September 2022. In fact, he revealed that he would be visiting London to headline his first outside-the-country concert.
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The Truth About Willie Spence’s Death
His death from a car crash on September 12, 2022, was quite shocking. The details surrounding it revealed that Willie veered off the road and crashed his 2019 Cherokee jeep into a tractor-trailer parked by the side of the road.
There are speculations about his state of mind at the time of the accident with many pointing to drunk driving. However, his family refuted this claim by stating that he was not a drinking type. Moreso, they allege that it may have something to do with his activities over the weekend which caused him to fall asleep due to fatigue.
Adding to this, his family claimed he was returning to Atlanta where he had a meeting with an organization that supports abused and trafficked women.
Despite these allegations about the real cause of Spence’s death, the police are yet to confirm.
Meanwhile, there are many reactions to his death from his costars such as Katharine McPhee and Kye Monee whom he paired with while on the show, and Katy Perry, one of the judges.
Even in death, Willie Spence the runner-up of the 19th season of American Idol will shine brighter than a diamond. While the singer’s career was just taking off, the 23-year-old sadly died on September 11, 2022, after a car crash. His death adds to the high death rates caused by accidents in the US. Other celebrities that died in car crashes include; Anne Heche and Paul Walker.
