It’s a sad day in the American Idol universe. The show’s cast and crew are mourning the loss of Season 18 contestant Doug Kiker, 32, whose family announced his death on Facebook on March 12.
“He was sooo loved and will be missed by so many! [You’re] singing with the [angels] now Bubba,” his sister, Angela Evans, wrote on the social media platform. “Please pray for our family as we go [through] this very difficult time.”
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His other sister, Donna Kiker Carrillos-Ramirez, also posted a tribute to her late brother. “Today I got the call that no one wants to get. We lost an amazing person today. He had the biggest smile and knew how to make you laugh,” she wrote. “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.”
The cause of death has not been determined, but Kiker’s ex-fiancée and mother of his two children, Valerie Cook, revealed to TMZ that he passed away on Monday, March 10. His family has set up a GoFundMe page to assist with funeral costs because his passing was “completely unexpected” and they are “completely unprepared” for the financial burden of bringing his body home from Denver, Colorado.
Who was Doug Kiker?
Kiker, who hailed from Alabama, was fondly known as “The Singing Garbage Man” after he performed a stunningly beautiful interpretation of Rascal Flatts’ “Bless the Broken Road” — his raw talent was undeniable! He revealed that he decided to take a chance on himself to prove to his then-two-year-old daughter that “if you put your mind to it, there’s nothing you can’t do.” Judge Lionel Richie was moved by Kiker’s story and the inspirational reason why he auditioned for American Idol.
“For a man who has no idea what his voice can do, for a man who has no idea what key he’s singing in, for a man who has no idea who the heck he can be, he’s here to do one thing: He’s trying to show his daughter that he’s somebody,” Richie said while praising him for being “a hell of a man.” Judge Katy Perry even tried to blink back tears while he accepted his ticket to Hollywood, but the waterworks flowed.
Even though he made it to Hollywood, Kiker’s time on the show was limited. He went home in the following round after singing Marvin Gaye’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” He returned for the finale in May 2020 to sing a virtual duet (it was the pandemic season) with Rascal Flatts.
Kiker uploaded the clip to his personal YouTube page with a message to his American Idol fans — he seemed energized by the incredible opportunity the show afforded him. Wow y’all! I can’t believe I actually got to sing with Rascal Flatts. “So much has happened since my first audition y’all,” he wrote. “I am working on putting together an album! Thank y’all so much for following me on this journey. I can’t do this without y’all! Woohoo!!”
That wasn’t the last time he made it into the headlines though. In May 2021, he was arrested and charged with third-degree domestic violence (harassment), per TMZ. Kiker last shared new music on his YouTube page in January 2022.
For more on American Idol, check out this gallery on the judges’ real-life partners.
