Quindon Tarver, who gained fame as a youngster for his breath-taking covers of “Everybody’s Free (To Feel Good)” and “When Doves Cry” on the soundtracks for the 1996 film Romeo + Juliet, died in a car crash in Dallas, early Friday, a family member confirmed to The Daily Beast. Tarver was 38. “He had an accident—all we know is he had a wreck, crashed into a wall somewhere on George Bush [Turnpike],” said Tarver’s uncle, Willie Tarver. “That’s all the information I have.”
Tarver, who learned how to sing in church, played a choirboy in Baz Luhrmann’s modern remake of the Shakespeare classic. He also appeared in Madonna’s Like a Prayer video, and appeared on seasons two and seven of American Idol. He said his career stalled after he spoke out about being abused by an industry figure, and he struggled with addiction for a time—but never lost his love of performing. “It’s kind of tragic—I actually lost my son in January to police brutality. This last release Quindon put out, ‘Stand Our Ground,’ was on behalf of my son,” another uncle, Kevin Tarver, said. He was a loving nephew, he loved everybody, believed in being straightforward. He loved music since he was young, and singing eventually took him all around the world. That was his passion.”
