Ex-Hinder Singer + Singing Reality Show Contestant Nolan Neal Has Died
Nolan Neal, the singer best known for his appearances on NBC's The Voice and America's Got Talent, has died at the age of 41. In addition to his run on both singing competition shows, Neal had a brief stint with Hinder, appearing on the single "Hit the Ground" before it was eventually re-recorded with his replacement Marshal Dutton ahead of their When the Smoke Clears album release.
TMZ reports that the singer died on Monday (July 18) according to the medical examiner. An official cause of death has not been announced.
Neal was open about his struggles with substance abuse during both his appearances on The Voice and America's Got Talent. During a 2020 interview with WBIR-TV, the singer recalled of his time with Hinder, "I remember I got clean in 2010; May 15, went to rehab. Stayed clean. I joined the rock band Hinder, they were all about drinking and partying. This is not their fault. I had decided I wanted to drink like a normal person. I remember trying to be normal and fitting in. I remember going to a bar and ordering a drink. I tried to hide it. I remember pretending to be normal. I was just lying to myself telling myself that I could control it." His tenure with the band was short, as he was eventually replaced by the band's current vocalist Marshal Dutton.
He also revealed that he was still struggling with his addictions while appearing on The Voice. "I kind of lost my way on The Voice and continued drinking," he stated. "You can see it. I can see it." He was eventually eliminated in the Knockout Rounds. He auditioned for the show with Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" and chose Adam Levine as his coach as can be seen below.
Nolan Neal Performs "Tiny Dancer" on The Voice
Neal would try again on America's Got Talent, sharing his original song "Lost" he had written about his addictions and opening up to the panel about dealing with his father's suicide. He made it to the quarterfinals of AGT with his song "Send Me a Butterfly." See both performances below.
Nolan Neal Auditions With "Lost" on America's Got Talent
Nolan Neal Performs "Send Me a Butterfly" on America's Got Talent
In addition to his time in Hinder, Neal had released several albums, including 2006's The Road to Now, 2013's The Wire and 2018's NasviLa. He had also written for Saliva on the song "Unshatter Me" for the band's 2016 album, Love, Lies & Therapy.