Nikki McKibbin (September 28, 1978 – November 1, 2020) was an American rock-pop singer, who gained worldwide notoriety when she appeared on the first season of American Idol, which aired from June 11, 2002 to September 4, 2002 that season. She reached the top three before being eliminated from the competition before the top two.

On October 1, 2002, her cover of the song “Piece of Heart”, originally recorded by Janice Joplin in 1998, was released on the compilation album, American Idol: Greatest Moments.

In 2007, she released her debut album Unleashed, which included the singles “To Be With You”, “The Lie”, “Naked Inside”, “Save What’s Left of Me”, “Cry Little Sister (Live)”, “Inconsolable”, and “Made It”.

In 2008, she was featured on the television show “Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew”, which helped her deal with her struggles with cocaine addiction and alcoholism.

In 2012, she, along with the band Love Stricken Demise, released an EP titled Psychotrip.

In 2014, Nikki McKibbin re-appeared on American Idol when her son, Tristan, auditioned for the fourteenth season of the show.

On November 1, 2020, it was first reported that McKibbin had died at the age of 42 after suffering a brain aneurysm.