Luke Bryan is remembering American Idol alum Willie Spence and his beautiful voice.
When asked about a moment he would change from his time on the show, Bryan, 49, told Billboard, “I would have cherished more moments with Willie Spence.”
Bryan fondly recalled the season 19 runner-up who tragically died in a car crash at age 23 in October 2022.
“That’s a biggie to me — losing him and knowing how much he touched me in that room, in that space, watching him perform week in and week out. It was truly breathtaking,” Bryan shared in the article published on Saturday, March 6.
Bryan reflected on Spence’s backstory and how the beloved contestant resided not too far from where he grew up during an interview alongside fellow judges Carrie Underwood and Lionel Richie as well as host Ryan Seacrest. “He was from Douglas, Georgia, which is an hour from my hometown,” Bryan shared, adding, “That loss really affected me.”
The “Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma” hitmaker said he’ll sometimes come across a throwback clip of Spence performing and it reminds him of the connection they had. “It breaks my heart for him and his family, and I can only imagine what his career might have been,” Bryan continued.
“It’s like when you go back to your high school reunion and you realize some of your classmates aren’t here,” he explained. “Then you realize that considering the years you’ve been on the show, the sad reality is we are going to lose people.”
Spence came in second place during his season 19 appearance, just behind winner Chayce Beckham.
Seacrest, 51, echoed, “When you’ve got that kind of history and the legacy in this show and touched so many different lives and people, it’s never something that you ever think about when you start this, but it is inevitably part of life.”
While competing on the show, Spence performed captivating covers of Rihanna’s hit “Diamonds” as well as of Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli’s “The Prayer” when he took the microphone alongside Katharine McPhee-Foster.
Back in 2022, Spence tragically succumbed to his injuries after his Jeep Cherokee veered off I-24 in Jasper, Tennessee, and struck a tractor-trailer that was parked on the shoulder.
A rep for the show shared a statement at the time, which noted, “We are devastated about the passing of our beloved American Idol family member, Willie Spence.”
“He was a true talent who lit up every room he entered and will be deeply missed,” the statement continued. “We send our condolences to his loved ones.”
