American Idol 2025: How did Freddie McClendon’s father die? Watch the 48 hours piece on his murder
During his audition, which aired last Sunday (March 23) American Idol contestant Freddie McClendon alluded to his father’s murder, but didn’t go into the details. But the details are easy to find, as CBS featured the true crime story on their news magazine 48 hours on March 1.
American Idol taped Freddie’s audition last fall, but there was already a ton of sensational publicity around his family tragedy. His father, Davis McClendon, was out on a date with his new girlfriend Meredith Haynie on May 7 2023. At some point in the night, McClendon left the club where they were drinking. Haynie assumed he went to meet her soon-to-be-ex husband, Bud Ackerman.
The ex had been critical of the two dating before the divorce was final and Ackerman had been constantly calling her that night.
To dive into McClendon’s story, watch the full 48 hours piece which the network has posted on Youtube (below).
When cops arrived to check out the crash scene, a couple of odd details jumped out. McClendon’s dead body was far away from the car. And one big piece of evidence included a trail of oil that led to Ackerman’s parent’s house where a pickup truck leaking oil was parked.
What’s more, a lynchpin of the prosecution ended up being the entertainment system in Ackerman’s pickup. Alongside text messages, the computerized system, connected to the internet, provided a detailed accounting of where he’d been that night.
Authorities arrested Bud Ackerman within hours after the collision. His defense attorney admitted that Ackerman was angry his wife dated McClendon before their divorce was final and that he struck and killed the victim. But, the defense insisted that mowing McClendon down with his truck was an accident.
However, the jury did not agree. After a seven-day trial last fall, a jury convicted Bud Ackerman of murdering Davis McClendon. The judge sentenced Ackerman to 45 years in prison.
“He was something so much bigger than just the true crime story of the week”
Amid the publicity and dealing with his grief, Freddie auditioned for American Idol with an original song, titled “You Never Loved Him,” which deals with how the world perceives his father as merely a tragic true crime victim and fodder for the true crime entertainment grist mill.
The 19 year old singer from Greenfield, South Carolina has been a musician most of his life and is currently studying music at Belmont University near Nashville.
Freddie explained to the judges, Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan that his father’s death became a nationwide news story. “Everyone was focusing on his death,” Freddie said. “And I wanted to tell the story of his life.”
“He was absolutely a wonderful person,” Freddie said of his father. “He would do anything for anybody…he really understood me.”
After his father’s death, Freddie began to write songs in earnest. It helped him work through his grief. “I miss him everyday,” said Freddie. “And while you’re already dealing with his death, you gotta deal with all these people talking about the person that he was when they didn’t know him like we did.”
“He was something so much bigger than just the true crime story of the week,” Freddie shared.
“And I know that he would be right by my side,” Freddie sang. “Never got to see him one last time. We never got to tell him goodbye. We never got the chance to even try, to warn him that you had lost your mind…you never loved him like we did.”
“I was so proud that I was able to tell my dad’s story”
By the end of Freddie’s heartfelt performance, there wasn’t a dry eye in the audition room. A tearful Carrie said, “It’s so brave of you to decide that you want to choose the narrative that you want to remember him. Him. Not what happened, but him.” Luke added, “You got a really honest approach at this thing.” Lionel remarked, “You were able to translate that emotion, that feeling to the point where you move people.”
With Freddie’s family looking on, the panel sent Freddie to the Hollywood round. Afterward, holding his Golden Ticket, Freddie said, “I was so proud that I was able to tell my dad’s story,” he continued, “It meant the world to me that it resonated with Carrie Underwood…I’m beyond blessed.
