An American Idol contestant who advanced to the Hollywood rounds in 2021 is grieving the tragic death of his sister who lost her life in a drowning incident in a Tennessee lake on Monday (May 30).
Drake McCain Taylor, a grocery bagger from Spring City, Tennessee, confirmed the death of his sister, Madison Taylor, in a post on social media.
“My beautiful baby sister! Bubba misses you so much my heart can’t take it. Y’all please just pray for our family right now and respect our privacy. GOD BLESS!” Taylor captioned a shared story from a local media outlet.
Authorities report that 19-year-old Madison jumped into Watts Bar Lake from a boat and didn’t resurface. Emergency crews were called to the scene where they searched for the young woman, finally recovering her body just after midnight Tuesday.
Posts online are remembering Taylor as a standout athlete and a member of the women’s track and basketball teams at Union College.
Madison’s brother, Drake McCain Taylor, wowed American Idol judges during his soulful audition where he sang the Christian hymn “His Eye Is On the Sparrow.” He advanced to the Hollywood rounds, but was eliminated before reaching the top 24. His mom and several of his 11 siblings appeared during his Idol audition.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help Madison’s family with expenses. Click HERE to contribute. Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Taylor family and Spring City community.