‘The Voice’ Contestant’s Cause of Death Revealed

NBC/YouTube "The Voice" stage

Three months after “The Voice” contestant Nolan Neal was found dead in his Nashville apartment, his official cause of death has been released. The 41-year-old died after ingesting a “fatal combination of drugs,” according to a report obtained by Page Six.

Nolan Neal Was Open About His Struggles With Addiction

NBC/YouTubeNolan Neal performs on “The Voice” in 2016

Neal’s death on July 18, 2022, was first reported by TMZ. The outlet said he was found in his bedroom by his roommate, and that a guitar pick was found on the desk next to his bed that “appeared to contain a powder residue.”

An official cause of death was not determined until an autopsy report was completed on September 13, ruling his death an accident, per Page Six.

On October 13, the outlet reported that a spokesperson at the Davidson County Medical Examiner’s office in Nashville revealed Neal died of “acute combined drug toxicity.” The drugs found in his system were morphine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and acetyl fentanyl.

Neal competed on “The Voice” in 2016, receiving a four-chair turn for his raspy rendition of Elton John’s hit, “Tiny Dancer.” He was a member of Adam Levine’s team but was eliminated during the knockout rounds.

In July 2020, he revealed to Knoxville TV station WBIR that he had been struggling with his sobriety during his time on the show.

“I kind of lost my way on ‘The Voice’ and continued drinking,” Nolan said. “You can see it. I can see it.”

Neal told the TV station he’d been through several stints in rehab, but finally felt healthy and that he’d “found happiness by helping others in recovery.”

At the time of Neal’s death, the Twitter account for “The Voice” posted a photo of him performing on the show. The tweet said, “We are heartbroken by the passing of Nolan Neal. His incredible talent will always be remembered. Our sincerest sympathy goes out to his family and friends during this time.”

Nolan Neal Performed a Song About His Sobriety on ‘America’s Got Talent’

In addition to appearing on “The Voice,” Neal auditioned in 2020 for “America’s Got Talent,” performing an original song he wrote about getting sober, called “Lost.”

Before singing for the judges, he opened up about his addiction struggles and a difficult past that included his dad’s death by suicide when Neal was 26.

“When it happened, I felt like I didn’t matter that much,” he told producers for a segment that aired during his audition. “I was like, I wasn’t important enough for him to stick around. I blamed myself for sure.”

Neal said he played lots of gigs, and on the street on Broadway, before landing a record deal in Los Angeles.

“I was like, ‘this is it!’ and I partied really hard,” he said. “Pretty soon I started to become unmanageable because I thought I was a rock star. I got to New York to record my record and…I just remember I couldn’t sing because I was just so messed up. The label decided to drop me and I went back to Nashville and I just kept downward spiraling.”

Neal said family and friends stepped in to get him help. Before his AGT audition, he said, “I’m glad to be here today, sober, very clear, in focus.”

He made it to the quarterfinals of the competition, according to Variety.

At the time of Neal’s death, his daughter Caylin Cate started a GoFundMe campaign to pay for her dad’s funeral service, saying that he “did not have any life insurance or any money whatsoever.” Fans and friends raised over $26,000 to cover expenses.