Luke Bryan says that if he could change one thing about the years he’s spent judging American Idol, he would go back and appreciate every moment he got to spend with late finalist Willie Spence.
Spence, who placed second on Season 19 of American Idol, died in 2022, the year after the season aired. He was just 23 years old.
In a new interview with Billboard, Bryan says he was deeply affected by Spence’s death, in part because the young singer was from a city in Georgia just an hour away from Bryan’s own hometown.
What Did Luke Bryan Say About Willie Spence’s Death After American Idol?
He reflected on the loss as part of a Billboard interview with all three judges (Bryan, Carrie Underwood and Lionel Richie) plus longtime show host Ryan Seacrest.
“That loss really affected me,” Bryan admitted. “From time to time, I’ll see a clip of him singing and it just breaks my heart for him and his family, and I just can only imagine what his career might have been.”
Spence’s performance of Rihanna’s “Diamonds” returned rave reviews from all three judges back in the audition rounds of Season 19, and Bryan said in that moment that he “didn’t want [the song] to end.”
He’d go on to captivate the judges, and the audience watching from home, throughout his season, though he ultimately placed second to Chayce Beckham.
Looking back, Bryan reflected on what a powerful impact Spence made on that season of the show.
“It was truly breathtaking,” he told Billboard.
Bryan has judged American Idol for nine seasons now, and he says that tragedies like Spence’s death are a sobering reality that comes along with being a part of so many contestants’ lives.
Read More: American Idol Contestants Who Have Died
“It’s like when you go back to your high school reunion and realize some of your classmates aren’t there,” he continued. “Then you realize that considering the years you’ve been on the show, the sad reality is we are going to lose people.”
How Did Willie Spence Die?
Spence died from injuries sustained in a car accident on Oct. 11, 2022.
Read More: ‘American Idol’ Runner-Up Willie Spence Dead at 23
According to WSB-TV in Atlanta, Spence was driving a Jeep Cherokee on the interstate near Chattanooga, Tenn. when his vehicle veered off the road into another car that was stopped on the shoulder. The driver of the other car was not injured in the crash.
His final Instagram post was a version of a worship song called “You Are My Hiding Place.”
After Spence’s death, Bryan shared a remembrance of the young singer on social media, saying Spence “could change the mood instantly when he started singing.”
Read More: Luke Bryan Remembers American Idol‘s Willie Spence
“He will truly be missed,” Bryan continued.
13 ‘American Idol’ Stars Who’ve Died
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes