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‘American Idol’ alum Nikki McKibbin dead at 42

By Kelli Dugan, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
By Kelli Dugan, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Nikki McKibbin, who placed third on the first season of “American Idol” in 2002, died at the age of 42 on Nov. 1, following an aneurysm.

“The love of my life Nikki Sadler suffered an aneurysm on Wednesday,” McKibbin’s husband, Craig Sadler, wrote on Facebook. “She would already be gone, but she’s an organ donor and has been kept on life support to make that possible. That shouldn’t be a surprise to us. Even at the end she is still giving.”

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Kelly Clarkson won the inaugural “Idol” competition, followed closely by Justin Guarini and McKibbin, Entertainment Tonight reported.

In an Instagram post on Saturday, Guarini called McKibbin 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.”

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@realnikkimckibbin 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. ⁣ ⁣ Even in our 20’s 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...”. Nikki was on cloud nine and the joy and excitement that radiated from her was infectious. After the kind of emotional beating she took at the hands of the masses, she deserved to feel good about herself, even for a little while. ⁣ ⁣ Rest well, “Gypsy”...and thank you for the laughter, merciless teasing, strength, vulnerability, love and friendship you showed me during our time together in the spotlight. #rip #americanidol

A post shared by Justin Guarini (@justinguarini) on

“Rest well, ‘Gypsy’...and thank you for the laughter, merciless teasing, strength, vulnerability, love and friendship you showed me during our time together in the spotlight. #rip #americanidol,” Guarini continued.

After “Idol,” McKibbin appeared in several reality TV shows including “Fear Factor,” “Battle of the Network Reality Stars” and “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew,” where she battled cocaine and alcohol addictions, Us Weekly reported.

In 2014, McKibbin returned to “Idol” with her 15-year-old son Tristen Langley, who made it through to the Hollywood round but was cut before that season’s live shows, the entertainment news magazine reported.

McKibbin, a Texas native, released her debut album, “Unleashed” in 2007, followed by a 2008 Christmas album. In 2012, she released the EP “Psychotrip” with Love Stricken Demise, Entertainment Tonight reported.

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Dawn Wells FILE PHOTO: Actress Dawn Wells attends the 2015 TV Land Awards at Saban Theatre on April 11, 2015 in Beverly Hills, California. Wells died Wednesday of illness related to COVID-19. She was 82. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) (Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

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