Share
15th March 2025
09:35am GMT
American Idol star Douglas Kiker has died aged 32, his family have confirmed.
"It is with a heavy heart that we have to announce the passing of my brother Douglas Kiker he was sooo loved and will be missed by so many!," Kiker's sister, Angela Evans, said in an emotional Facebook post.
"Your singing with the Angel’s now Bubba Please pray for our family as we go threw this very difficult time."
Kiker was a garbage collector when he first appeared on Season 18 of the American talent show, and he moved judges to tears with his performance.
The Alabama native sang Rascal Flatts’ 'God Bless This Broken Road' in 2020, leaving judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan and Katy Perry, in awe.
Perry was moved to tears by his rendition of the country song, which was Kiker's first performance in front of an audience.
Although he did not progress to the next round, Kiker became beloved by fans and was brought back for the season finale to perform alongside Rascal Flatts.
Donna Kiker Carrillos-Ramirez, another sister of Kiker, shared an emotional statement following the news of her brother's death.
"Today I got the call that no one wants to get," she wrote.
"We lost an amazing person today. He had the biggest smile and knew how to make you laugh.
"I know I didn’t raise him but I never stopped loving him. My parents did an amazing job with him. Douglas Kiker you will forever be missed. Fly high. Say hey to grandma."
Explore more on these topics:
Top Story
This is brilliant for Christmas We’re well into December now, your Christmas shopping should be well underway. If you’re looking to make your presents a little more special this year, shoe lovers are in luck. Life Style Sports are offering a free shoe customisation event in Dublin this weekend. Shoppers can go to their Dundrum […]
6h
This is brilliant for Christmas We’re well into December now, your Christmas shopping should be well underway. If you’re looking to make your presents a little more special this year, shoe lovers are in luck. Life Style Sports are offering a free shoe customisation event in Dublin this weekend. Shoppers can go to their Dundrum […]
News
6h
The baby boy was involved in a two-car collision on December 6th A baby boy has sadly passed away in hospital after being injured in a two-car collision in Co. Louth last week. The infant was injured in a two-car collision on the R132 at Dowdallshill in Dundalk, Co. Louth. The incident occurred at around 8.10 […]
News
6h
She opened up about the moment in her new documentary Taylor Swift broke down in tears during her new documentary, End of an Era, as she spoke publicly for the first time about the Southport attack. In July 2024, three young girls were killed during an attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport. […]
News
8h
The University of Glasgow has cautioned students Classic works of children’s literature including Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone feature ‘outdated attitudes and abuse’ according to one of the top universities in the UK. The University of Glasgow issued this warning to the undergraduates in a module called British Children’s Literature. This caution is proof […]
News
1 day ago
The stars of The Hunger Games are returning for the sixth movie Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson are returning to the Hunger Games world. The actors, who rose to fame after starring as Katniss and Peeta in The Hunger Games, are now set to star in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. Lawrence will […]
News
1 day ago
Sophie Kinsella has sadly passed away Author Sophie Kinsella has sadly passed away at the age of 55 after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer in 2022. The writer confirmed she was diagnosed with glioblastoma three years ago. The author, whose real name was Madeleine Sophie Wickham, was best known for the […]
News
2 days ago
Luas power outage causes chaos for Dublin city commuters
News
2 days ago
