"American Idol" Hopeful Finds Strength in Tragedy
One aspiring “American Idol” contestant is transforming a devastating tragedy into a remarkable victory.
Nineteen-year-old Freddie McClendon, a college student from South Carolina, stepped into the audition room with an original song titled “You Never Loved Him,” inspired by the heart-wrenching murder of his father. Freddie expressed his desire to use “Idol” as a platform to honor his father, Davis McClendon, stating that Davis was “far more than just the latest story in true crime.”
“He was our father; he was everything to us,” Freddie shared emotionally with the judges. Davis was a respected marketing director at a Greenwood, South Carolina, retirement community, who tragically lost his life at 46 in May 2023.
The fatal incident involved the estranged husband of Davis’ girlfriend, Meredith Haynie, who violently struck Davis with his Ford F-250 pickup truck and then fled the scene. In an October trial, “Bud” Ackerman Jr. was swiftly found guilty after just 22 minutes of jury deliberation. He received a 45-year prison sentence for McClendon’s murder.
The shocking hit-and-run gained attention when it was featured on “48 Hours” earlier this month.
Freddie had been writing songs since freshman year in high school, but his passion became a crucial emotional outlet after his father’s death. His song, “You Never Loved Him,” is heaped with personal grief, lamenting the family’s lack of a proper farewell while hinting at the unresolved anger over their loss.
Freddie’s vocals, though not flawless, were raw and sincere. “There’s a real honesty in your approach. It’s as if you’re today’s Paul Simon,” praised Luke Bryan. Moved to tears, Carrie Underwood commended Freddie, “It’s courageous of you to choose how you want to remember him, focusing on who he was, not what happened.”
Surrounded by his supportive mother and tearful sisters, the judges were compelled to give a unanimous “yes.”
Freddie McClendon was among a select group of singers to move on to the competition’s next round.