Rickey Smith

Bio:
Rickey Smith (born Rickey Eugene Smith on May 10, 1979 in Keene, Texas) was a former reality television personality and singer. Rickey majored in Performance at Southwestern Adventist University, working as a teacher after he graduated. Rickey gained fame during the 2002 season of the popular American singing competition, American Idol. During his appearances on the show’s second season, Rickey gained a following for his personality and funny antics. He donned an Afro wig for a performance of Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Let’s Groove.” He also was known for smiling while chanting “Hercules! Hercules!” during the show, a line from Eddie Murphy’s remake of The Nutty Professor. While Rickey made it into the Top 10, he ultimately wound up finishing eight, losing the competition Clay Aiken and the season’s ultimate winner, Ruben Studdard. After his season in American Idol, he appeared on Family Feud during a special American Idol week. He also appeared as himself during American Idol Rewind in 2008.

Best Known For:
Rickey Smith is best known as a former contestant on Season 2 of American Idol.

Personal Life:
Rickey enjoyed listening to a wide variety of music – from Led Zeppelin, Brian McKnight and R. Kelly. On May 5, 2016, Rickey was killed in a multi-car highway wreck in Oklahoma. A car reportedly drove the wrong way down the interstate, slamming head-on into Rickey’s car. He was 36 years old.