20-Year-Old ‘American Idol’ Finalist Arrested for DUI, Hospitalized After Crash Near Nashville

Colin Stough, who put his tiny Mississippi town on the map with an impressive American Idol run, is facing alleged drunk-driving charges after crashing his car in Tennessee.

TMZ reports that Williamson County police arrested Stough, 20, on Friday (Feb. 28) following a single-vehicle crash on I-840 East outside of Nashville.

After a hospital visit, authorities charged the American Idol finalist with DUI, underage consumption of alcohol, and failure to exercise due care. He has since bailed out and is not currently in custody.

Stough seemingly hinted at the crash in an Instagram post Friday evening. He shared a snippet of an original song overlaid with the caption, “I’m not perfect and will never claim to be. But I will admit when I’m wrong and that’s a fact.”

The song’s lyrics seem to point toward a deeper pain: She told my mama that she had to leave / Said, the boy loves the bottle more than he loves me / I told her up and down that I would change / But wasn’t nothing gonna make her stay.

Last June, Stough announced his engagement to former Miss Jr. Teen Mississippi, Mckenzie Rhett.

Colin Stough Finished Third on ‘American Idol’

Nearly winning the whole thing, Colin Stough finished third on American Idol behind season 21 winner Iam Tongi and runner-up Megan Danielle in May 2023.

The then 18-year-old punched his ticket to Hollywood with a stunning rendition of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man.”

“Colin, you’ve got the magic in you,” exclaimed judge Katy Perry.

Demonstrating his range with performances of Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own” and “It’s Been Awhile” by Staind, Stough was still standing on finale night. Since his time on American Idol, he has released two EPs, 2023’s Promiseland and Lookin’ For Home, out last July.

The singer and horseback rider shared parts of his story during his time on Idol. Stough grew up in Gattman, Mississippi, “about 30 feet” from his grandparents’ house, “down the street” from an aunt and uncle, and just a few blocks away from his cousins.

“My dad, he really ain’t never been there,” Stough said. “He chose alcohol and drugs instead of me and Mom. Man, that just killed the family, and this is where we had to go. … I used to have a real bad problem about just holding on to everything and that’s what horses teach me, just to let go of it.”

Featured image by Eric McCandless/ABC