Doug Kiker, 'American Idol''s 'Singing Garbage Man,' dies at 32
Doug Kiker, the Alabama native dubbed the "Singing Garbage Man" during his audition for season 18 of American Idol, has died at age 32.
Kiker's sisters, Angela Evans and Donna Kiker Carrillos-Ramirez, confirmed his passing in separate Facebook posts on Wednesday. Kiker's ex-fiancée, Valerie Cook, stated that Kiker died on Monday. TMZ reported. An official cause of death is not yet known.
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Entertainment Weekly has reached out to a rep for American Idol.
"It is with a heavy heart that we have to announce the passing of my brother Douglas Kiker," Evans shared on Facebook. "He was sooo loved and will be missed by so many! Your singing with the Angel's now Bubba. Please pray for our family as we go [through] this very difficult time."
In her Facebook post, Kiker Carrillos-Ramirez shared a photo of her brother from his Idol audition and a photo in which she posed with him, writing, "We lost an amazing person today. He had the biggest smile and knew how to make you laugh. I know I didn't raise him but I never stopped loving him. My parents did an amazing job with him. Douglas Kiker you will forever be missed. Fly high. Say hey to grandma."
A GoFundMe has been set up to help cover Kiker's funeral expenses. "It is with heavy hearts that we have to say goodbye to one of the most sincere souls and most hilarious person of all. Douglas, a beloved son, brother, father and friend," Kiker Carrillos-Ramirez, who organized the fundraiser, wrote on the page. "Thank you for your love, support, and generosity during this incredibly difficult time. We greatly appreciate each and everyone of y'all."Kiker stole hearts when he auditioned before Idol judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan on the season 18 premiere in 2020. The Mobile, Ala., garbage collector sang a resonant version of Rascal Flatts' "Bless the Broken Road," which caused Perry to well up with tears. "That was not garbage. It was greatness," she said before the judges unanimously awarded him a golden ticket to the Hollywood audition stage.
Though Kiker didn't advance beyond the Hollywood week round, his audition proved so popular with viewers that Idol brought him back to the finale for a virtual encore (the season 18 finale was taped during the pandemic) of "Bless the Broken Road," this time accompanied by Rascal Flatts themselves.
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A year later, Kiker was arrested on a charge of domestic violence in the third degree.
After Idol, Kiker teased a movie being made about him and performed at venues local to his native Mobile. In one of his last posts to Instagram, dated April 21, 2022, Kiker expressed gratitude to "all the people that have shown your love and support," and informed fans, "I may have been down but don't ever count me out I refuse to give up on all the people rooting for the dreamers of the world."
Kiker is survived by two children he shared with Cook.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
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