 (1).png)
3 days ago
1
Celebrity Deaths: 2025’s Fallen Stars
The American Idol community is mourning a tragic loss.
Douglas Kiker, a contestant from Greensboro, Ala., who competed on season 18 of the singing competition series, has died, according to his family. He was 32.
“It is with a heavy heart that we have to announce the passing of my brother Douglas Kiker,” his sister Angela Evans wrote in a March 12 Facebook post. “He was sooo loved and will be missed by so many!”
In a message directed to her brother, she continued, “Your [sic] singing with the Angel's [sic] now Bubba. Please pray for our family as we go threw [sic] this very difficult time.”
Douglas’ mom Donna Kiker Carrillos-Ramirez also confirmed the news of her son’s passing in a heartbreaking message.
“Today I got the call that no one wants to get,” she shared in a March 12 Facebook post. “We lost an amazing person today. He had the biggest smile and knew how to make you laugh.”
Donna also noted that, though Douglas’ grandparents raised him, her affection for him never diminished, adding, “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.”
Douglas’ family also called him “a beloved son, brother, father and friend” and the “most hilarious person of all” in a GoFundMe fundraiser set up to help cover funeral costs.
While a cause of death has not been revealed, Angela shared that Douglas’ death was “unexpected” and occurred in Denver, CO.
Angela Evans/Facebook
“We are completely unprepared,” she said of transporting him back to Alabama in a separate Facebook post, “and are gonna need a little help getting him home from denver colorado and being able to give the memorial that not only he but anyone deserves.”
Known online as “The Singing Garbage Man,” Douglas—whose ex-fiancée Valerie Cook told TMZ she is sad that her kids lost their father—moved Idol judge Katy Perry to tears during his 2020 audition.
“That was not garbage. It was greatness,” she said through tears. “You just stay who you are and you’re going to go so far. And you’re going to take your daughter to all the highest heights.”
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
English (US) ·