Willie Spence (June 18, 1999—October 11, 2022)[1] was a contestant and the eventual runner-up on Season 19 of American Idol.
Audition[]
Willie auditioned in San Diego. He sang "Diamonds" by Rihanna. All three judges voted "yes", sending him to the next round.
Hollywood Round[]
Willie was shown in the "R&B" category of the Genre Challenge. He sang "All of Me" by John Legend. He was later shown in a duet called "Destin2Be" with Kya Monée singing "Stay" by Rihanna, ft. Mikky Ekko. During the Showstoppers Round, he sang "I Was Here" by Beyonce. Afterwards, during the Final Judgment, the judges told him that he did enough to become a Top 24 semifinalist.
Top 24[]
Willie sang "Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler and "The Prayer" by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli in a duet with Katharine McPhee. He received enough votes to be considered "safe".
Top 16[]
Willie sang "Set Fire to the Rain" by Adele. He received enough votes to become a Top 12 finalist. To celebrate, he sang "Diamonds" by Rihanna.
Top 12[]
Willie sang "Stand Up" by Cynthia Erivo (from Harriet). He received enough votes to be considered "safe" for another week.
Top 10[]
Willie sang "Circle of Life" by Elton John (from The Lion King). He received enough votes to be considered "safe" for another week.
Top 7[]
Willie sang "Yellow" by Coldplay and "You Are So Beautiful" by Joe Cocker (originally via Billy Preston); the latter being a Mother's Day dedication. He received enough votes to be considered "safe" for another week.
Top 4[]
Willie sang "Glory" by John Legend and Common, "Never Be Alone" (his coronation single), "I Was Here" by Beyoncé, and "What They'll Say About Us" by FINNEAS in a duet with Grace Kinstler. He received enough votes to advance to the Finale.
Season 19 Finale[]
Willie sang "Georgia on My Mind" by Ray Charles, "A Change is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke, and "Stand Up" by Cynthia Erivo.
He also sang several non-competition performances, which included: a duet of "You Are the Reason" (by Calum Scott) with The X Factor UK – Series 3 winner, Leona Lewis; and "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light 'em Up)" by Fall Out Boy (also musical guest, whom he sang with), alongside Chayce Beckham, Arthur Gunn, and Casey Bishop.
Willie Spence received more votes than Grace Kinstler, but less votes than Beckham, rendering Spence the runner-up.
Performances[]
| Stage | Song | Original Artist | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audition (San Diego, CA) | Diamonds | Rihanna | Judges: Yes |
| Hollywood: Genre Challenge (R&B) | All of Me | John Legend | Advanced |
| Hollywood: Duet | Stay (w/ Kya Monée) | Rihanna ft. Mikky Ekko | Advanced |
| Hollywood: Showstoppers Round | I Was Here | Beyoncé | Advanced |
| Top 24 Solo | Wind Beneath My Wings | Bette Midler | Safe |
| Top 24 Duet | The Prayer (w/ Katharine McPhee) | Andrea Bocelli & Celine Dion | Safe |
| Top 16 Performances | Set Fire to the Rain | Adele | Safe |
| Top 15 Results/Wildcard | Diamonds | Rihanna | Victory Song |
| Top 12 | Stand Up | Cynthia Erivo | Safe |
| Top 10 | Circle of Life | Elton John | Safe |
| Top 7 | Yellow | Coldplay | Safe |
| You Are So Beautiful | Billy Preston/Joe Cocker | ||
| Top 4 | Glory | Common and John Legend | Safe |
| What They'll Say About Us
(duet w/ Grace Kinstler) |
Finneas | ||
| Never Be Alone | Willie Spence | ||
| I Was Here | Beyoncé | ||
| Finale | Georgia on My Mind | Ray Charles | Runner-Up |
| A Change is Gonna Come | Sam Cooke | ||
| Stand Up | Cynthia Erivo |
Death[]
On October 11, 2022, Willie Spence died in a car crash.[2]
Legacy[]
In Season 21, the year after Willie’s death, Kya Monée came back to American Idol. She told the judges that the two became very, very close friends and she is trying to cope with losing him. Kya reveals that Willie was coaching her for a second audition. It was his idea for her to try again because he believed in her talent. Willie was unable to be there with her, but she honored him by singing a tribute, “I’m Here” from The Color Purple - a song they picked together. The performance leaves everyone in tears. Katy Perry tells Kya she feels they are all connected and that she is authentic just like Willie was. Lionel Richie says that Willie was a wonderful angel, and a beacon of what American Idol is all about. The premiere episode ended with a montage of Willie’s life.
There are several times throughout the season where the judges are reminded of Willie by the new contestants.
Trivia[]
- Prior to his audition, Willie lost 180 pounds.
- Willie is the first runner-up, first contestant of the reboot series, and fifth overall finalist (after Michael Johns, Rickey Smith, Leah LaBelle, and Nikki McKibbin) to die. C.J. Harris would later become the sixth and Mandisa the seventh. Two semifinalists (Joanna Borgella and Marque Lynche—brother of "Big Mike") have also passed.