Kya Monée McGruder

Kya Monée was born on August 9th, 2001 and was 19 years old when she auditioned for Season 19 of American Idol. She had the honor of singing a legendary duet with fellow contestant and runner-up of the season, Willie Spence, which was her only performance on the show.

Kya Monée ’ was among the singers who auditioned for American Idol Season 21. She also said she’d been singing since age 4.

Since appearing on the show, Kya released a four-song EP called “Stages of a Heartbreak” on Austin-based Tap Out Records. You can check out the music video for one of those songs, “I’m Leaving,” below.

During their Idol run, Kya became friends with Willie Spence, who ultimately finished second, but died in a traffic accident in October. She paid tribute to him on Instagram, writing: “You became my brother and my friend in one. Getting a call saying that you were no longer here made my stomach turn and heart break … thank you so much for becoming my brother and showing me how capable i was of becoming a star. I love you so much; you’re always in my heart.”