American idol finalist michael johns dies at 35


American idol finalist michael johns dies at 35

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_American Idol_ contestant Michael Johns died Friday from a blood clot in his ankle. The 35-year-old is the first finalist of the show to pass away. "Our family is devastated by the


passing of our beloved Michael, a wonderful husband, son, brother, uncle, and friend," his family said in a statement. "We appreciate the outpouring of love and support we have


received from all corners of the globe." Johns was born in Australia, and moved to the United States in 1997 on a tennis scholarship, _People_ reports. He made his way to Atlanta to


work on his music, and ended up finishing eighth during the seventh season of _Idol_. He released an EP in 2012, and on July 10 tweeted he was working on a new song, "Reckless."


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From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter,


get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. Former _American Idol_ judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Paula Abdul turned to Twitter to send their condolences, with


Jackson tweeting, "So Sad. Too soon. Thank you for sharing your talents with us." Explore More RIP Speed Reads