Jennifer Hudson is mourning the loss of an early mentor. The Voice star memorialized her American Idol vocal coach Debra Byrd in an emotional tribute. Byrd left her mark on a number of shows including American Idol, Canadian Idol, and also The Voice.:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(722x310:724x312)/debra-byrd-030724-1-73a352ddb5ee4938bc96d7cbb960cdd4.jpg)
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She passed away in California on Tuesday. Byrd was 72 years old. Hudson got her start on American Idol, first working with Byrd in 2004. She shared a video from one occasion when Byrd helped her rise to success.
“Heartbroken over the passing of Debra Byrd, the vocal coach on American Idol,” she wrote. “She encouraged and supported us from the very beginning! I am so grateful for everything she taught us. She will be dearly missed, but her legacy lives on through the music of countless artists she influenced during her lifetime. Rest in peace, Debra.”
