Nolan Neal, a Nashville-based singer-songwriter, has passed away at the age of 41, less than two years after making it all the way to the quarterfinals of America’s Got Talent (AGT). His roommate found him dead in their Nashville flat, and his cousin Dylan Seals confirmed his passing to TMZ. There has been no official announcement regarding the cause of death.
Neal, a native of Nashville, was raised in a musical household because both of his parents were performers. Neal’s Hollywood Records deal fell through in 2006, and according to The Focus, Neal didn’t get along with his father, who warned him, “You will never make it in the industry.” Soon after, Neal’s father committed suicide, which caused him to feel guilty and start abusing drugs.
Neal, who was 39 at the time of his audition for AGT season 15, had previously participated in season 11 of The Voice, where he had been chosen to be a member of Adam Levine’s team and had advanced to the knockout stage before being eliminated. They called his tale “heartbreaking” when he joined the reality show in 2020, citing his “dark past” that resulted in issues with substance misuse and addiction. Neal acknowledged publicly that he was still dealing with addiction when a competitor on The Voice in an interview with WBIR in 2020.
“Send Me a Butterfly” and “Lost,” which Neal claimed was the first song he wrote after getting sober, were two original songs he wrote while working at AGT. Both the audience and all four judges gave the act a standing ovation. Below, you can watch that stunning performance.
Three days prior, in his most recent Facebook post, Neal announced that he would be performing at the Hotel Indigo in Nashville on Sunday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with free admission. However, in the comments section, Neal stated that the manager had cancelled the show without providing a reason, adding, “Sorry guys. Y’all should call the Hotel and tell them you want to see me play there lol.”