Leah LaBelle Vladowski (September 8, 1986 - January 31, 2018) was a contestant in Season 3 of American Idol.
For more about her life, see Leah LaBelle/Personal.
Audition[]
Leah auditioned in New York. She sang "I Believe in You and Me" by The Four Tops. Randy and Simon both voted "yes", sending her to the next round.
Hollywood Round[]
Leah was shown in a group with Dina Lopez and Elizabeth LeTendre singing "Young Hearts Run Free" by Candi Staton. She survived the cut that occurred shortly thereafter. She was later shown singing for the judges one final time on the fourth day of Hollywood Week. She did enough to make the judges' Top 32.
Top 32[]
Leah was shown in Group 3. She sang "I Have Nothing" by Whitney Houston. Although she did not receive enough votes to make the Top 2, she was selected to compete in the Wild-Card show.
Wild-Card[]
Leah sang "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green. She was selected by Paula Abdul to compete as a Top 12 finalist.
Top 12[]
Leah sang "You Keep Me Hangin' On" by The Supremes. She received the lowest number of votes that week, and was eliminated.
Death[]
On January 31st, 2018, she and her husband Rasual Butler were killed in a car accident.
Trivia[]
- Leah auditioned under her birth name, Leah Vladowski.
- Leah became the third American Idol finalist, and first female finalist, to die, after Michael Johns and Rickey Smith.
- She is also the second Season 3 contestant to pass away, after Marque Lynche.
Season 3 |
Finalists |
Fantasia Barrino ยท Diana DeGarmo ยท Jasmine Trias ยท LaToya London ยท George Huff ยท John Stevens ยท Jennifer Hudson ยท Jon Peter Lewis ยท Camile Velasco ยท Amy Adams ยท Matthew Rogers ยท Leah LaBelle |
Semifinalists |
Elizabeth LeTendre ยท Matthew Metzger ยท Suzy Vulaca ยท Katie Webber ยท Heather Piccinini ยท John Preator ยท Tiara Purifoy ยท Lisa Wilson ยท Charly Lowry ยท Jonah Moananu ยท Eric Yoder ยท Lisa Leuschner ยท Marisa Joy ยท Kara Master ยท Briana Ramirez-Rial ยท Jesus Roman ยท Noel Roman ยท Marque Lynche ยท Ashley Thomas ยท Erskine Walcott |