Nolan Neal, a singer who used to be on America’s Got Talent and The Voice, has passed away. He was 41.
Neal’s death is still a mystery. No one knows for sure what happened. Dylan Seals, Neal’s cousin, told PEOPLE that Neal “finally gave up his battle with drug abuse.”
The medical examiner’s office in Nashville told TMZ that the musician who lived there had died on Monday. Seals also told the news organisation that the TV star’s body was found in his apartment.
Nashville’s Medical Examiner’s Office has not yet responded to PEOPLE’s request for comment, but the late musician’s cousin called him “one of the most talented people” he had ever met while working in the entertainment industry.
“We all knew from a young age that he was a natural-born entertainer. All of us were blown away by how powerfully he sang and wrote songs “Seals, who works as an audio engineer, told PEOPLE in a statement. “It was amazing to work in the studio with him. He was known for how quickly he could write, arrange, and record the main parts of a song. He was pure energy for making things. He put all of himself into the music. He sang from the bottom of his heart. After thinking about it this morning, I think it was probably his tortured soul crying out. He couldn’t live without music. Everything was there.”
He kept going, “This month, three years ago, he sang “Fire and Rain” by James Taylor at my dad’s funeral because I asked him to. It meant the world to me, and my father, who was Nolan’s biggest fan, would have felt the same way. I’ve been thinking about that song all morning.”
Seals also said that he was “saddened” to hear that Neal “finally gave up his fight against drug abuse.”
Seals said, “He was always open and honest about how hard it was for him.”
“He was a good son and father. All who knew him saw him as a light. His two kids and his mother, Cathy, are in my thoughts and prayers.”
Neal first became known as a contestant on the 15th season of The Voice, which aired in 2016. He got a spot on Adam Levine’s team by singing “Drive” by the band Incubus at his audition. But in the end, he was taken out of the competition.
Neal went on to compete on America’s Got Talent in 2020, which was almost four years later. He sang his own song, “Lost,” at the audition. In the Judges’ Choice part of the Quarterfinals, he was later taken out of the competition.
Neal had talked before about how hard it was for him to stop using drugs.
“I remember that I quit using drugs in 2010 and went to rehab on May 15. kept clean, “In 2020, Neal told WBIR. “I joined the rock band Hinder, and all they did was party and drink. They are not to blame. I had made up my mind that I wanted to drink like everyone else. I remember trying to act like everyone else and fit in. I went to a bar and asked for a drink. I tried to keep it quiet. I remember acting like everything was fine. I was just telling myself a lie when I said I could handle it.”
Neal even said that he “lost his way on The Voice” because he kept drinking while he was competing. But he eventually found a way that worked for him and helped him stay clean.
“Helping others get better made me happy,” he said. “I found a way to be happy that didn’t involve the things I used to think made me happy.”
