Willie Spence Honored in Hometown with Special Tribute & Tree Planting

Nearly three years after beloved “American Idol” alum Willie Spence — runner-up to season 19 winner Chayce Beckham — tragically died in a car accident, his family and hometown have made sure his legacy will live on.

On June 18, 2025, which would have been the late R&B singer’s 26th birthday, the mayor of Riviera Beach, Florida, officially proclaimed the date to forevermore be Willie Spence Day at a special ceremony attended by Spence’s parents, Sharon and Willie Spence Sr., according to CBS12 News. In tandem with the commemorative day, they announced the official launch of the Willie Spence Champions Foundation.

Willie Spence’s Family Hosted Creativity Sessions in to Celebrate His Life

On June 18, Spence’s parents were on hand at a City Council meeting — dressed in special shirts commemorating their son — as Mayor Douglas Lawson signed the proclamation making June 18 Willie Spence Day. In addition, a special tree planting ceremony was held in Spence’s honor at a local park.

The following day, combined with events celebrating Juneteenth, his parents hosted and attended Juneteenth events in Riviera Beach that specifically celebrated freedom through creativity in their son’s honor, WPBF reported, including youth performances and creative workshops. In 2026, they plan to add a 5k to the mix.

Aftewards, his mom Sharon emotionally told the station, “It was a great day. It was a moving day. It was an inspiring day. Such a wonderful day.”

“He used to say to me, ‘Mom, I want people to be able to hear my voice all over the world,” Sharon said, tearing up. “All over the world, he said. And I do believe they do hear his voice.”

During Spence’s 2021 audition, he told judge Katy Perry his primary goal was, “I just want my voice to reach the world and just share my gift.”

Willie Spence Posted a Poignant Final Song Hours Before His Passing

Spence died on the afternoon of October 11, 2022, according to NBC News, in Marion County in East Tennessee. The Tennessee Highway Patrol stated that Spence’s 2019 Jeep Cherokee “left the roadway” and collided with the back of a tractor trailer that was parked on the shoulder of the interstate. Both he and the driver of the truck were wearing their seatbelts, and the truck driver was not injured.

A few hours before his tragic death, Spence posted an Instagram video of himself in a car while in Nashville, belting out the worship song “You Are My Hiding Place.”

In the caption, Spence simply wrote, “Lord you are my hiding place” and added two emojis — a microphone and the eyes-welling-with-tears face.