'American Idol' Contestant Freddie McClendon Describes Losing His Father During His Audition

It's not uncommon for the occasional American Idol contestant to have a tie to a real-life celebrity of some kind. But that's not exactly the case when 19-year-old Freddie McClendon auditions for Season 23. He shares his link to Davis McClendon, who became famous for a reason totally unrelated to singing and show business. In May 2023, Davis was killed in a hit-and-run accident, which Freddie shares details about before and during his audition.

Instead of singing one of the many more common songs that potential American Idol contestants belt out for the judges ahead of the start of the real competition, Freddie sings an original song about losing his father. Davis's death was detailed already in an episode of 48 Hours. But Freddie shares during his audition that his father was much more than what others learned about him through his short episode. And it left some American Idol viewers wondering what happened to Davis McClendon.

Outside of American Idol, some true crime buffs might have found the last name of McClendon to be a bit familiar. Whether that's because they watched his episode of 48 Hours or not, Davis's name was in the news at the time of his death. There had been questions of whether or not the hit was intentional when Davis was struck outside of his car and found several feet away, and the case quickly became a murder investigation.

Later, authorities arrested a man by the name of Bud Ackerman and charged him with the murder of Davis. According to prosecutors, Davis had been dating Bud's ex-wife, which was the alleged reason behind the hit-and-run. Bud was sentenced to 45 years in prison following a guilty verdict.

During Freddie's audition on American Idol, he shares some details about his relationship with his father before his unexpected death. He sings a song called "You Never Loved Him," which he wrote about losing his father at a young age. And, he tells the judges, "He meant the world to us." Freddie's song about Davis also talks about losing his father too soon. Davis was still in high school when Davis was murdered.

According to Davis's obituary at the time of his death, "Davis was a people person and his outgoing personality made him the perfect match for his position as Marketing Counselor at Wesley Commons." The obituary went on to say, "He always wanted to do what was right and honorable and would go out of his way to help any of the residents or his friends with whatever their needs might be."

Before Freddie went on American Idol, he had something of a social media following already, and he had been writing music for years. After his audition on American Idol, Freddie advanced to the next round.