KUALA LUMPUR: Texas singer Nikki McKibbin, an American Idol Season 1 finalist, has died at 42.
E! News reported today that McKibbin's husband, Craig Sadler, announced on Facebook last Saturday, that she had suffered a brain aneurysm on Oct 28.
"Nikki considered her most important roles in life to be wife, mother and grandmother," Sadler said in a statement.
"Of all the amazing things she did, her devotion to her family soars about the rest. Our lives will never be the same without her."
The family is making arrangements for a small, private memorial.
"Nikki would never forgive me if I arranged a large gathering during a pandemic," Sadler said.
"At some point when it's safer, we will give her a proper celebration of life so that her hundreds of friends can have some closure. We want to have the kind of event she deserves when it's safe."
American Idol paid tribute to McKibbin on Twitter.
"Nikki McKibbin was an incredible talent and we are deeply saddened by the news of her passing," read the post.
"She was part of our American Idol family and will be truly missed. Our hearts and prayers go out to her family and friends during this difficult time."
In 2002, McKibbin competed in the debut season of American Idol and placed third, after runner-up Justin Guarini and the winner, Grammy-winning artiste and talk show host, Kelly Clarkson.
"Nikki was a fiery, funny lady who could sing the hell out of a rock song with the same kind of ease and command she lovingly used to cut you with her twangy Southern wit," Guarini wrote on Instagram yesterday.
"Even in our 20s when we were on American Idol together I could tell that she'd had a challenging life, and that not that many people had been kind to her along the way but I'll never forget the day that her idol, Stevie Nicks, sent her flowers with a card that said 'You are the Gypsy that I was'."
Paula Abdul, one of the three original American Idol co-judges, also paid tribute to McKibbin.
"Nikki McKibbin was a strong and spirited woman who always stayed true to who she was," Abdul wrote on Twitter. "She could bring the house down with her powerful voice and captivating stage presence. Our first season of Idol would not have been what it was without her. My love and prayers go out to her family."
McKibbin released her debut single, To Be With You, in 2006 and her first album, Unleashed, a year later. She released eight more singles throughout the next few years, as well as an EP, Psychotrip, with the band Love Stricken Demise in 2012.
In addition to Sadler, McKibbin is survived by her son, Tristen Cole Langley, 22, who auditioned for Season 13 of American Idol, and a granddaughter.