MICHAEL JOHNS, a finalist on “American Idol” season seven, died Friday. The cause of death is believed to be a blood clot in his ankle.

    The singer competed on the Fox music show in 2008 and came in 8th place. He followed with a full-length album, 2009’s “Hold Back My Heart,” that included single “Heart on My Sleeve.”

    “Michael Johns was an incredible talent and we are deeply saddened by the news of his passing. He was a part of our ‘American Idol’ family and he will be truly missed. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family and friends during this difficult time,” read a statement posted on the show’s official Facebook page.

    Johns was 29 when he auditioned for the show — the absolute upper limit of eligibility. Johns created a stir because he had been signed to a major label, Maverick, prior to auditioning.

    Johns grew up in a family that had musical talent in Australia. He received a tennis scholarship, which brought him to the United States to pursue music.

    He was signed to Maverick as a solo artist. Johns completed his album for Maverick and assembled a band called the Rising. “The label folded and my record never saw the light of day until I appeared on American Idol,” he told Billboard. “Warner Bros. put the Maverick recordings up on iTunes.”

    Next, Johns was signed to Columbia by Tim Devine. But when many west coast label personnel were dismissed, a lot of developing artists were dropped, including Johns.

    Johns said he started watching “Idol” right from the beginning. “I was intrigued like the rest of the world. Kelly Clarkson was awesome and still is. I think she is the biggest reason why the show got as big as it did,” he said. “She came out and legitimized the credibility of the show. ‘Idol’ is the best platform these days for finding new talent.”

    While Johns didn’t win, his career as a singer was by no means stagnant. A favorite of Grammy-winning producer David Foster, he performed on the PBS television special, “Hit Man: David Foster and Friends,” which also featured such music luminaries as Michael Buble, Josh Groban, Blake Shelton and Andrea Bocelli. (SD-Agencies)