'X Factor' star Freddie Combs dead at 49

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Former "X Factor" star Freddie Combs has died, Fox News has confirmed. He was 49.

The inspirational singer, whose voice was larger than life, died Sept. 10, according to a funeral home in Cocoa, Fla.

Combs’ wife, Katrina Combs, told TMZ Thursday he died of kidney failure. 

Combs was surrounded by friends and family at a hospital in Florida at the time of his death, according to Katrina

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The performer and minister, who once weighed 920 pounds, was hospitalized in 2009. But Combs worked himself down to 385 pounds through a strict exercise regimen and change in diet by the time he appeared on "X Factor" in a wheelchair. 

"I have so much gratitude to be his wife for 25 years and to be his best friend," Katrina told TMZ.

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During his unforgettable stint on "X Factor" in 2012, Combs delivered a show-stopping rendition of Bette Midler’s 1988 hit, "Wind Beneath My Wings," for celebrity judges Simon Cowell, Britney Spears, L.A. Reid and Demi Lovato.

Freddie Combs competed on 'X Factor' in 2012. He died on Sept. 10 of kidney failure. (X Factor)

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It was announced in July that "X Factor," which has launched the careers of One Direction, Leona Lewis and many others, will end after 17 years.