CJ Harris: 'American Idol 13' finalist's official cause of death revealed
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: CJ Harris, an alum of the popular television show ‘American Idol’ died recently, and now the official cause of his death has been revealed. The Walker County Coroner authority confirmed that it was a heart attack that took the life of the 31-year-old musician. Harris was taken to the hospital in Jasper, Alabama, where CPR efforts were made but to no avail. Harris’ talent was lauded by all the judges when he first auditioned at Salt Lake City, which included Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, and Harry Connick Jr.
It was his ‘Soulshine’ song from the Allman Brothers’ that got him in and he continued to entertain with songs, such as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' 'Free Fallin', 'Invisible' by Hunter Hayes, 'Can't You See' by The Marshall Tucker Band and 'If It Hadn't Been for Love' by The SteelDrivers, in the show. "C.J. Harris was an incredible talent, and the news of his passing deeply saddens us. He will be truly missed," said American Idol said in a statement on social media.
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After finishing sixth in the 2014 edition of the show, CJ Harris was called to perform at the Grand Ole Opry with the legend Darius Rucker, according to People. He went on to release his single ‘In Love’ in 2019, and regularly updated fans on Facebook about his release and schedules related to his tour across the country. "I was always on the internet, trying to find a break, looking for which producers I could send my stuff to. I searched for American Idol and I saw they were doing the bus tour and they were going to be 30 minutes down the road from me," he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2014.
Harris revealed that he had previously auditioned for American Idol, The X-Factor, and The Voice. "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."
Jessica Meuse, who also contested along with Harris in American Idol season 13 wrote a long tribute post on her Instagram, “My heart is heavy to hear of the passing of fellow @americanidol and friend @cjharrismusic. I’m completely shocked. Your talent and smile will be missed, and the world is definitely a darker and eerily quieter place without you in it. I’ll miss your random phone calls asking for life advice and talking about the music world.” She further said, “There are a lot of things I realize I will never understand — you leaving us so soon is one of those things. Rest easy, friend. See you on the other side. ❤️”