Doug Kiker, a former American Idol contestant deemed the “Singing Garbage Man, ” died on Monday (March 10), TMZ reports. He was 32.

Valerie Cook, Kiker’s ex-fiancée with whom he shares two children, informed the outlet of his passing, lamenting that she “hates that her kids lost their father.”

Per Entertainment Weekly, news of Kiker’s death was also broken by his sister Angela Evans, who mourned the loss of her brother on Facebook this week.

“It is with a heavy heart that we have to announce the passing of my brother Douglas Kiker he was sooo loved and will be missed by so many!” Evans wrote. “Your singing with the Angel’s now Bubba Please pray for our family as we go threw this very difficult time.”

Kiker’s cause of death has not yet been shared publicly.

At 27 years old, Kiker auditioned for Season 18 of the hit reality competition show, which aired in 2020. Hailing from Mobile, Alabama, Kiker told judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan at the time that he worked on the back of a garbage truck and had no performing experience. He won them over with a performance of “Bless the Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts, even making Perry cry.

He earned a ticket to Hollywood, but didn’t make it further in the season. However, he was invited back for the Season 18 finale, per People.

In 2021, Kiker was arrested on charges of domestic violence.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Donna Kiker Carrillos-Ramirez, Kiker’s other sister, who also honored him on Facebook, launched a GoFundMe page to raise money for his funeral. The page was shared by GoFundMe’s X account on Friday afternoon.