Freddie Combs, a fan-favorite contestant on the American X Factor, dies at 49

TMZ

The wheelchair-bound minister became a fan favorite on the second season of Fox's The X Factor in 2012 when he sang "Wind Beneath My Wings." As TMZ recalls, "Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid promised to back him if he promised to get healthy, lose weight and get out of his wheelchair ... and Freddie vowed to do so. Though he was eliminated shortly after, his story inspired many folks because he'd already lost more than 400 lbs. since 2009 ... when he topped 920 lbs."