41-Year-Old Star of 'The Voice' Found Dead in His Apartment
Editor’s Note: Our readers responded strongly to this story when it originally ran; we’re reposting it here in case you missed it.
A singing contestant, who appeared on both “America’s Got Talent” and “The Voice,” died July 18.
Nolan Neal passed away in his apartment in Nashville, Tennessee. He was 41.
Official cause of death has not yet been determined by Neal’s autopsy, TMZ reported.
His roommate found his body and called the police, who said Neal’s death may have been linked to substance abuse. Cops said they found a guitar pick that “appeared to contain a powder residue.”
Before his death, Neal had talked openly about his past with drug and alcohol addiction and revealed he still struggled with the temptation. He admitted this in an interview with WBIR-TV, saying the struggle was real while competing on “The Voice.”
“I kind of lost my way on ‘The Voice’ and continued drinking. You can see it. I can see it,” Neal said.
After joining the rock band Hinder, he started heavily drinking.
“I remember trying to be normal and fitting in. I remember going to a bar and ordering a drink. I tried to hide it,” he said. “I remember pretending to be normal. I was just lying to myself, telling myself that I could control it.”
He also struggled with losing his father to suicide.
“Whenever we talk about my dad on the show, I always forget. It opens up scars, wounds,” he said.
“I swore I wouldn’t choke up.”
Dylan Seals, his cousin, said that Neal was sober and creating music while living together for four months prior to the coronavirus pandemic, TMZ reported.
Neal made it to the quarterfinals of “America’s Got Talent” in 2020 and competed until the knockout round of “The Voice” in 2016.
His original songs, which include “Send Me a Butterfly” and “Lost,” often touched on his own struggles in life.
Neal said “Lost” was the first song he wrote after becoming clean.
After his death, a fan page dedicated to the singer posted a tribute to Instagram.
“Sing in peace with the angels,” the caption read. “The world is missing a bright light and Heaven just got a new music director.”
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