Rickey Smith

S2 · Eliminated 8th

Latest documented update, January 19, 2023

In summer 2003 Rickey Smith toured on the American Idols Live! Tour 2003, which featured 9 of the top 12 season 2 contestants. He died in Oklahoma on May 6, 2016, at age 36, in a road crash involving a wrong-way driver.⁠[1][2][3]

Career

After the show

  1. April 29, 2003Sang "Back at One" on the RCA compilation American Idol Season 2: All-Time Classic American Love Songs.⁠[6]
  2. July 8, 2003–August 31, 2003Performed on the American Idols Live! Tour 2003 with eight other season 2 finalists.⁠[2]
  3. May 6, 2016Died at age 36 in a road crash in Oklahoma.⁠[1][3]

Discography

No releases are documented yet.

Awards

Checked October 6, 2026; none found.

Sources

6 sources

  1. List of American Idol finalists — Wikipedia, updated June 10, 2026. Reference work (secondary). Retrieved October 6, 2026.
    Cited parts (3)
    • Lead, footnote quoting People (2023-01-19): “American Idol finalist Rickey Smith died in Oklahoma on May 6, 2016, in a wrong-way wreck”
    • Contestants table, row Rickey Smith: season 2, place finish 8th
    • Lead (deceased finalists list) and its footnote quoting People: “Rickey Smith died in Oklahoma on May 6, 2016, in a wrong-way wreck caused by an allegedly drunk driver, KOCO reported at the time. He was 36.”
  2. American Idols Live! Tour 2003 (Wikipedia revision 1376504591) — Wikipedia, updated September 24, 2026. Reference work (secondary). Retrieved October 6, 2026.
    Cited parts (3)
    • Performers table: “Rickey Smith (8th place)”
    • Lead section: “a concert tour featuring 9 of the top 12 contestants of the second season of American Idol”
    • Infobox and Performers table: “Rickey Smith (8th place)”
  3. American Idol Contestants Who Have Died — People, published January 19, 2023. News report. Cited by another source; not opened by our researchers.
  4. American Idol season 2 — Wikipedia, updated September 16, 2026. Reference work (secondary). Retrieved October 6, 2026.
    Cited parts (2)
    • Top 12 finalists: “born May 10, 1979”
    • Elimination chart row Rickey Smith: Pl. 8, Eliminated in the Top 8 column (4/9); ratings table episode 'Top 8 Results', April 9, 2003
  5. Rickey Smith — Television Academy. Official record. Retrieved October 8, 2026.
    Cited parts (1)
    • Biography: “Smith died in a car crash on May 6, 2016, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.”
  6. American Idol Season 2: All-Time Classic American Love Songs (Wikipedia revision 1368978073) — Wikipedia, updated August 12, 2026. Reference work (secondary). Retrieved October 6, 2026.
    Cited parts (1)
    • Infobox (released April 29, 2003; label RCA); Track listing, track 7: “"Back At One" (Brian McKnight) – Rickey Smith”

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