Skip to main content
Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Nolan Neal, a singer who competed on both The Voice and America’s Got Talent, has died. He was 41.
Neal died Monday (July 18), TMZ reports, and was found in his apartment in Nashville. Neal’s cause of death has not yet been determined, although his cousin, Dylan Seals said the singer “ultimately succumbed to his battle with substance abuse,” per People.
Seals said in a statement shared with the outlet, “He was a natural-born entertainer and it was obvious to all of us from an early age. He blew us all away with his incredibly powerful vocal delivery and songwriting.”
Seals, who works as an audio engineer, added, “Working with him in the studio was awe-inspiring. The speed at which he could write arrange and record the basics of a track was legendary. He was pure creative energy. He put everything he had in the music. He sang from deep within his soul. Upon reflection this morning, it was likely his tortured soul crying out. Music was life or death for him. It was everything.”
He added that Neal had always been “open and honest” and his “struggle” with substance abuse, and told People the singer was “a loving father and son” and “a light to all who knew him.”
Neal competed on Season 10 of The Voice in 2016, during which he was a member of judge Adam Levine’s team. He was eliminated after reaching the show’s knockout round. After his stint on The Voice, Neal appeared on America’s Got Talent in 2020, competing on the show’s Season 15 and reaching the quarterfinals.
Neal’s fan page, Nolan Neal Navy, mourned the singer with a Monday Instagram post featuring a photo of the singer and the caption, “Sing in peace with the angels. The world is missing a bright light and heaven just got a new music director.”
