Ex-American Idol Contestant Dead at 26

Dave Nemetz

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Singer Haley Smith, who was a contestant on Season 11 of American Idol, has died following a motorcycle crash, according to Entertainment Weekly. She was just 26 years old.

Smith crashed her motorcycle last week in Millinocket, Maine, resulting in her death. An investigation into the one-vehicle accident is still pending.

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The singer was just 18 when she first appeared on the then-Fox singing competition at the Aspen, Colorado auditions in 2012, impressing judges Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson with her soulful rendition of Rufus and Chaka Khan’s “Tell Me Something Good.” (“I am honored to be here listening to your voice,” Tyler gushed.) All three judges said yes to sending her to Hollywood, but Smith was later eliminated during the Hollywood rounds.

Watch Smith’s Idol audition again below, and then share your condolences in the comments.

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