WATCH: ‘American Idol’ contestant pays tribute to Georgia’s Willie Spence with emotional audition

ATLANTA — ABC’s ‘American Idol’ season 21 premiered Sunday on Channel 2 and the loss of a former Georgia contestant was on the minds of the judges and one singer in particular.

Willie Spence, who was raised in Douglas, Georgia, died in October 2022 after a car accident in Tennessee. He was 23.

Spence was the runner-up on American Idol season 19 in 2021. He auditioned by performing Rihanna’s “Diamonds,” a performance that was met with awe.

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During Sunday’s premiere, Kya Monée returned to the “Idol” auditions to pay tribute to her late friend. Monée and Spence sang as duet partners after they both made it to “Hollywood Week.”

“We grew a very close friendship. Losing Willie was very hard for me. I’m still trying to cope with that,” she said. “Willie, he always told me no matter what, you would always be a singer.”

Monée told the judges that Spence planned on attending her audition before his death.

“Three days before he passed, he was telling me you have to go back. I’m going to go with you to American Idol,” she said. “He made me wanted to do it. I want to make it further, but I also want to make Willie proud.”

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Monée performed “I’m Here” from “The Color Purple,” a song she said the two of them picked together. The judges praised her tribute and their friendship. Lionel Ritchie called her audition “emotional, so heartfelt, so divinely guided.”

“What a tribute to him and a tribute to what you guys were planning to do together. I’ve lost some people in my life and when you go to sing, you just sing like Willie is still here.”

“It was so connected to the pain. Everybody is feeling this loss. But we also feel connected together because you were authentic, just like he was.”

As the three judges said yes to sending Monee to Hollywood, Idol played Spence’s “Diamonds” performance in the background.

Just hours before he was killed, Willie Spence was still singing

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