‘American Idol’: Kya Monee’ Returns to Honor Season 19 Runner-Up Willie Spence After His Fatal Car Crash
Sunday night’s premiere of American Idol Season 21 ended with a touching tribute to the late Willie Spence. As longtime fans of the singing competition may recall, Spence was the runner-up of season 19. After his sudden death in October, fellow season 19 singer Kya Monee’ returned to American Idol to honor Spence with another audition dedicated to him. Check out the emotional tribute below and read what Monee’ and the judges had to say about Spence.
‘American Idol’ runner-up Willie Spence died in October
Willie Spence auditioned for American Idol in 2021 and quickly became a fan-favorite. He went on to make second place in the finale as Chayce Beckham won the season.
On Oct. 11, 2022, Spence died in a car crash on Interstate 24 near Chattanooga, Tennessee. He was 23 years old. As NBC News reported at the time, his Jeep Cherokee “left the roadway” and hit a tractor-trailor that was stopped on the shoulder.
Following the news of his death, American Idol took to Instagram to share a look back at his audition, during which he sang Rihanna’s “Diamonds.” Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie were mesmerized by his vocals. After his performance, Bryan called Spence a “special, special human being.”
“We are devastated about the passing of our beloved American Idol family member, Willie Spence. He was a true talent who lit up every room he entered and will be deeply missed. We send our condolences to his loved ones,” the caption read.
Kya Monee’ paid tribute to Willie Spence with a moving audition on ‘American Idol’
Like Willie Spence, Kya Monee’ auditioned for American Idol Season 19. She went home during Hollywood Week. However, before her elimination, she and Spence duetted on a cover of Rihanna’s “Stay” that brought Perry to tears and earned a standing ovation.
Monee’ returned to Idol for a second chance during the season 21 premiere on Feb. 19. She revealed that she and Spence became very close after their duet and kept in touch.
“That song, it meant so much to me,” Monee’ said. “From there on, we grew a very, very close friendship.”
Just three days before his death, Spence encouraged Monee’ to go back to Idol and try again. He was even supposed to join her at her season 21 audition. Monee’ said she was struggling to cope with his death and longed for his support at the audition, but she knew she had to honor him. So, she performed the song he chose for her: “I’m Here” from The Color Purple.
Kya Monee’s audition made all 3 judges emotional as they remembered Willie Spence
Monee’ was overcome with tears at some points, but she sang with passion and allowed her emotions to come through in the song. Richie, Perry, and Bryan all gave her a standing ovation, and Richie broke down in tears. He gave Monee’ a big hug before telling her that her performance was “so emotional, so heartfelt, so divinely guided in the glorious name of our dear brother, Willie.”
Bryan complimented Monee’s tribute, adding: “You just sing like Willie’s still here.”
“it was so connected to the pain, and everybody is feeling this loss,” Perry said.
Needless to say, Monee’ is going to Hollywood once again. Fans can see how far Kya Monee’ goes in her second American Idol journey when new episodes of season 21 air on Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Next-day streaming is also available on Hulu.
