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Who was Quindon Tarver? 'Romeo + Juliet' singer who toured with Brandy dies at 38 in car crash in Dallas

He also appeared in Madonna’s 'Like a Prayer' video and made two appearances on 'American Idol' in seasons two and seven
UPDATED APR 5, 2021
'Romeo + Juliet' singer Quindon Tarver died in a car crash in Dallas (Quindon Tarver via Instagram)
'Romeo + Juliet' singer Quindon Tarver died in a car crash in Dallas (Quindon Tarver via Instagram)

Singer Quindon Tarver died at age 38 after a horrific car crash in Dallas. According to the family, Tarver crashed into a wall on George Bush turnpike early on Friday. It is unclear as of now how the accident occurred and if was driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 

The singer is best known for his work on the soundtrack of 1996's 'Romeo + Juliet', and appearing in Madonna’s 'Like a Prayer' video. He also made two appearances on 'American Idol' in seasons two and seven. Unfortunately, he was never able to make it big and he blamed the abuse he faced at the hands of manager Chris Stokes as a child. Here's everything we know about the child prodigy, and how he went from church choir singer to touring the world with Brandy.

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Quindon Tarver as a child artist (Quindon Tarver via Instagram)

Who was Quindon Tarver?

Born in McKinney, Texas, Tarver became well known in his community for singing in the Greater Hope Holiness Church choir. At the young age of 12, Tarver managed to impress manager Chris Stokes, who requested he fly to Los Angeles. He then signed on to Virgin Records and released his first album 'Quindon' in 1996. While working on the album, he got called to audition for a role in 'Romeo + Juliet'. In an interview with Cosmopolitan, Tarver said, "They (Hollywood Records) needed a kid to sing that part in the movie, and she remembered me, and her people reached out to my people, and I went and auditioned, and I got the part."

Tarver's rendition of 'His Eye Is on the Sparrow' won the approval of the team, and he was offered the gig. At just 12, Tarver sang 'Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)' and Prince's 'When Doves Cry' for the film. Tarver spent a few weeks on the set of the film and even got to meet Leonardo DiCaprio, who he claims shared a bowl of caramel popcorn with the child artist. Success followed, as Tarver's single 'It's You That's On My Mind' became a hit, leading the singer to tour the world with the likes of Immature, Brandy and Monica. He also had a part in Madonna's 'Like A Prayer'. Tarver also appeared on 'American Idol' in two seasons, finishing inside the top 50. Unfortunately, it was also a time of great personal distress for the teen musician.

Tarver claims he was raped and molested by Stokes, as well as singer Marques Houston. Houston was the lead singer of the group Immature, with whom Tarver toured. According to Tarver, Stokes made Houston rape him when he was just 13. He told ABC, "when that took place, I shared it with one person that I thought I could trust and confide in. This person went back and said something to my management at that time and, immediately, I noticed that there was this distance." Thus began the beginning of the end for Tarver. 

He was dropped by Virgin and forced to return home. That led to him spiraling with drugs, alcohol and depression. He spoke about the experience in a 2008 interview with VIBE Magazine, and later in a one-on-one with DeMario “Raz-B” Thornton. Thornton leaked that 2010 conversation to the public, providing in-depth details of Tarver's rape. Tarver then put out a statement saying, "I had no clue our conversation was being recorded, nor did I know it would wound up on the Internet. I was under the impression that Raz B and myself were having a private conversation."



 

In 2012, he attempted suicide and ended up on life support. Fortunately for him, his inspiration Prince was able to give his music career another chance. When Prince died in 2016, Tarver went to LA for a tribute. "When I got on the stage and they announced my name, it was like a coming to Jesus moment. The applause and the cheers of the people, it was like ‘Wow, this is what I want to do'" he told ABC. That moment inspired Tarver to get help. He then put himself in rehab, enabling him to get rid of his demons and return to music full-time. 

In 2017, he re-released 'Everybody's Free'. He also announced a Kickstarter project to help fund the 'Everbody's Free' EP, but unfortunately did not make much progress. The project only received $1,273 of its $17,000 goal. He turned to insurance to help supplement his income during this time. In 2019, he came out as gay in an Instagram post. Tarver's last song was 'Stand Our Ground' released in 2020. Unfortunately, the songs failed to chart like the songs from Quindon. 

Not much is known about Tarver's personal life. His Instagram profile is filled with his own images, as well as many promoting his single 'Stand Your Ground'. Many of the captions on Instagram seemed to be political in nature, with Tarver calling on people to vote and discussing racism. There are no records of him donating to, or endorsing a candidate for any elections. 

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