New details are being shared about the death of one-time American Idol hopeful Doug Kiker.

Police say a passerby was so concerned by the 32-year-old’s appearance that they called 911.

• Doug Kiker’s family says he died on Monday (March 10), but no cause of death has been revealed.
• He became popular during Season 18 of American Idol in 2020. In fact, his audition brought Katy Perry to tears.
• TMZ shares that he was hospitalized for five days prior to his death.

During that call, TMZ reports, the good samaritan speculated that Kiker may be having a drug overdose. First responders brought him to a hospital in Denver, where he died five days later.

Related: American Idol’s Doug Kiker’s Final Facebook Post Is a Beautiful Reminder

The investigation is still ongoing, however, and the medical examiner has not revealed any findings.

What Happened to Doug Kiker?

Kiker slipped away from social media in mid-2022 after a series of posts that spotlighted new music and performances. After his American Idol audition, he continued to the Hollywood round, but was cut from the show at that point.

Fans and judges fell hard for his backstory. The “Singing Garbage Man” was known for belting out a song as he picked up trash in Alabama. Kiker had no formal training at that point, so when judge Lionel Richie told him to go warm up, he essentially asked, “What’s that?”

A cover of Rascal Flatts‘ “Bless the Broken Road” is what he was best known for. During the Season finale of American Idol that year, he was invited back to sing the song virtually.

2020 was the COVID-19 season of American Idol. Just Sam won that season.

Last year, Taste of Country revealed the staggering death rate for finalists on American Idol. Eight of 252 finalists across 12 seasons have died due to illness, or in relation to addiction or traffic accidents.

Most recent was Season 5 finalist Mandisa, who died in April 2024. In total, 13 American Idol singers have died if you count all who picked up serious TV time.