Quindon Tarver, who appeared as a choirboy in “Romeo + Juliet” and on seasons two and seven of “American Idol,” died in a car accident on Thursday. He was 38.
Tarver, a McKinney, Texas, native died on President George Bush Turnpike, according to his uncle, Kevin Tarver.
“He had been through so much,” Kevin Tarver told The Dallas Morning News. “But his focus was on his music. He was getting ready to make his comeback. He had been in the studio working on a project that was supposed to be released this year.”
Tarver, who was born in McKinney in 1982, began singing in church choirs when he was 4, the newspaper reported. He appeared in the video for Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” and signed with Virgin Records when he was 12.
While recording his debut album, “Quindon,” he was asked to audition for “Romeo + Juliet,” the Morning News reported.
Tarver performed covers of Prince’s “When Doves Cry” and Rozalla’s “Everybody’s Free” in the 1996 film, the newspaper reported. His songs were also featured on the double-platinum soundtrack to the movie.
Tarver’s first album, released in 1996, included a hit single, “It’s You That’s On My Mind.”
In 2016, Tarver sang “When Doves Cry” at a Prince tribute in Los Angeles, the Morning News reported. He released a single, “Stand Our Ground,” last year.