Caleb Kennedy, former American Idol contestant, charged after fatal wreck. Here's what we know.

Former American Idol contestant Caleb Kennedy is facing charges after a fatal wreck near Pacolet on Tuesday afternoon.

The S.C. Highway Patrol has charged the 17-year-old with felony DUI resulting in the death of Larry Duane Parris, 54, according to Master Trooper Mitchell Ridgeway and jail records.

Ridgeway said Kennedy's truck ran into a building on private property on West Murph Road. Parris was pronounced dead at Spartanburg Medical Center Tuesday afternoon.

Latest: Bond denied for former American Idol contestant Caleb Kennedy in fatal Spartanburg County wreck

Read More: Former American Idol contestant Caleb Kennedy charged after fatal wreck

The Highway Patrol and Coroner's Office are continuing to investigate the crash. Kennedy's bond hearing is scheduled Wednesday at 11 a.m. in Spartanburg County.

Kennedy, 17, received national fame while competing on American Idol and became one of the favorites of the judges, but left the show just two performances away from finale night after a controversial video surfaced online.

Here is what we know about Kennedy, the controversial social media post and his American Idol journey.

Who is Caleb Kennedy?

The 17-year-old country music singer started his Idol journey in October 2020 when he was invited to audition for the ABC talent show. Kennedy's gravelly voice and original songs lead him to the Top 5 before the video surfaced.

The singer-songwriter has penned more than 120 songs since first picking up a guitar 3 years ago. He said he is influenced by the country music artists that came before him.

Related: Spartanburg's Caleb Kennedy is 'going to Hollywood' as American Idol dream moves one step closer

The Dorman High School student began his Idol journey through a Zoom call and was invited to audition in front of judges - Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan - on October 28, 2020.

Kennedy quickly became a fan favorite on Idol, receiving high praise from the judges. He had the chance to perform with one of his own idols, Jason Aldean, while on the show.

“I tried to soak in every moment with his as best I could,” Kennedy said when asked about singing with the three-time ACM award winner. “I couldn’t tell you what I was feeling in the moment because it was a lot of emotions. It was humbling and kind of, dang, I’m going to be singing with Jason Aldean, you know.”

But what critics say advanced him so far on the show were the original songs he continued to write and perform along with meeting challenges set in the show.

Why did Caleb Kennedy leave American Idol?

The Spartanburg community was shocked when Kennedy announced he would be leaving American Idol and returning to Spartanburg May 12, 2021, after a social media post surfaced online.

Kennedy appears in the Snapchat post seated beside someone wearing what appears to be a Ku Klux Klan hood. Kennedy's family said the video was recorded when he was 12-years-old.

After leaving American Idol: Spartanburg residents see Snapchat video involving Caleb Kennedy as teachable moment

Kennedy announced the following on his Instagram page:

"Hey y’all, this is gonna be a bit of a surprise, but I am no longer gonna be on American Idol. There was a video that surfaced on the internet and it displayed actions that were not meant to be taken in that way. I was younger and did not think about the actions, but that’s not an excuse. I wanna say sorry to all my fans and everyone who I have let down. I’ll be taking a little time off social media to better myself, but saying that, I know this has hurt and disappointed a lot of people and made people lose respect for me. I’m so sorry! I pray that I can one day regain your trust in who I am and have your respect! Thank you for supporting me."

The three-second video was met with negative reaction on social media from fans of the show and had Kennedy coming under fire for the content. However, Kennedy's mother, Anita Guy, stated the perception is not the meaning behind the short clip.

"I hate this has happened and how Caleb is being portrayed by people online," Guy said. "This video was taken after Caleb had watched the movie 'The Strangers: Prey at Night' and they were imitating those characters. It had nothing to do with the Ku Klux Klan, but I know that's how it looks. Caleb doesn't have a racist bone in his body. He loves everyone and has friends of all races."

Since returning to Spartanburg

After returning from Idol, Kennedy kept a low-profile. For his first performance post-Idol, Kennedy returned to where it all began. At Wings Etc. in Boiling Springs on June 11. It was a stormy evening but the weather didn’t keep away the hundreds of fans and supporters that came out to Wings Etc. to hear Kennedy play his first gig after American Idol.

Local performance: Former American Idol contestant Caleb Kennedy brings the country to Spartanburg's Music on Main

He's continued performing around Spartanburg and the Southeast, and released a new song on his EP, "Raised on Dirt."

Watch: Singer-songwriter Caleb Kennedy working on new songs

Kennedy was also invited to play at Greenville Country Music Fest alongside Sam Hunt, Riley Green, Jon Langston and Laine Hardy at CCNB Amphitheatre Park in Simpsonville.

This is a developing a story. Check back for more details.

Ashley Dill is a native of Spartanburg and has been on staff for the Herald-Journal for 14 years. She covers community news and can be reached at ashley.dill@shj.com or on Twitter at @ashleydill_shj. Support our coverage of Spartanburg County with a digital subscription. Click here for information about our subscription offers.

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Caleb Kennedy arrested on DUI charge after fatal Spartanburg wreck