American Idol Alum Michael Johns Has Died at 35 (UPDATED)

Sources have confirmed to Rodney Ho of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, that Michael Johns has died. Michael competed in Season 7 of American Idol, ending his run in 8th place. The Australian native was 35 years old.

UPDATE: THR reports that Michael died from a blood clot to his ankle.

UPDATE: TMZ Reports. Ugh that the hospital released him. I don’t blame the family if they sue.

The singer’s death was caused by a blood clot in his ankle … sources tell us he had twisted his ankle earlier and was in a great amount of pain.

People close to Johns tell us … it appears the ankle injury triggered the clot. We’re told he died in his sleep.

Sources close to Michael Johns tell us he went to a doctor on Thursday to check out the pain he had been feeling in his ankle … the swelling and bruising had made their way up to his leg.

Doctors didn’t find any problems however — so they cleared him to go home.

We’re told the next afternoon at his friends apartment … Johns’ body was found on the couch unresponsive. When paramedics arrived, he was already dead.

UPDATE: American Idol has released a statement:

“Michael Johns was an incredible talent and we are deeply saddened by the news of his passing. He was a part of our AMERICAN IDOL family and he will be truly missed. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family and friends during this difficult time.”

The administrator of Michael Johns official fan site is also confirming the news. mjohnsonline.com is currently offline.

It is with a heavy heart and inconsolable sadness that we confirm the passing of our friend Michael Johns. No other details will b avail at

— Sedz (@SedzOz) August 2, 2014

this time.Please respect the privacy of Mike’s family and friends as we know u will.Members and admin of @mjohnsonline pass on their prayers — Sedz (@SedzOz) August 2, 2014

Details have not been revealed yet, but according to Rodney, his family is not in a position yet to offer a statement. Michael lived in the Buckhead, Georgia area between 1998 and 2002. His friends there are beginning to leave condolences on Facebook.

“I will say that we had become closer friends just over the last five years or so and he went out of his way to help me out in the music world,” said Brian Wiltsey, an Atlanta-based musician via Facebook messaging. “We played some fun memorable gigs together this past year. It’s shocking to hear and still doesn’t seem real to me. He was a nice guy and we had a mutual respect for each other.“

Shawn Arnold, who was part of the Buckhead music scene back in the day, said, “Before there was ‘The Voice,’ we called him the voice. When he sang, it was just different from everybody else. He had the smoothest, most soulful voice. It was just so pure. None of us were surprised when he ended up on ‘Idol.’ “

Thoughts and prayers go out to Michael’s friends and family members. If any new information is forthcoming, I’ll post it here, so watch for updates. Rodney has posted an interview with Michael he conducted in 2008, so make sure to head over to the AJC to read.

Michael tweeted on July 10, excited about a song he was recording in the studio. I hope he finished it, so we have one last song from him.