5 The Voice Stars Who Sadly Passed Away

Neha Nathani, who holds a Master’s degree in Journalism, has been a Reality TV writer at ScreenRant since April 2020, covering the latest news, in-depth features, and opinion pieces with a passion for storytelling, thorough research, and unbiased reporting. Beyond her work, she enjoys spending time with her three cats and experimenting with new dance moves in her living room.

The Voice has featured some of the best singers across the U.S., a few of whom have tragically passed away. The hit reality TV series first began over a decade ago and quickly became one of the most popular shows of the genre. Over the years, the series has allowed contestants to showcase their skills and begin their singing careers. At the same time, it has brought on popular artists as coaches, including John Legend, Alicia Keys, Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, and more, to help guide the contestants and become the winner of The Voice.

Since the inception of The Voice in 2011, many musicians have won and become popular on social media. Danielle Bradbery is quite popular, and she has over 485k followers on Instagram after her coach, Blake, helped her win her season. Like Danielle, Blake has helped contestant Cassadee Pope make a huge name for herself after winning The Voice season 3. Cassadee has over 585k followers and released an album in 2021 called Thrive. Unfortunately, not all good singers on the show got a chance to thrive in their careers, as some of the reality stars sadly passed away.

5 Beverly McClellan

Beverly McClellan debuted on The Voice season 1 and won everyone’s heart by singing Janis Joplin’s 1967 song “Piece of My Heart.” While both Adam and Christina Aguilera loved her performance on The Voice, she went on to become part of the latter’s team. Throughout the show, Beverly impressed everyone with her sharp voice, which was unmatched by other musicians on the season. She was also popular for her unique style, and rock star looks. Unfortunately, she could not claim victory on the show and got third place on the finale night.

Beverly had a successful run on the show, but health complications stopped her from expanding her career. At the age of 49 (via Parade), she was diagnosed with endometrial cancer. According to Mayo Clinic, this type of cancer usually begins in the uterus and can be cured if discovered early. However, Beverly’s case wasn’t the same, leading to her untimely death. The former The Voice contestant passed away in late October 2018. She was only 49 years old at the time.

4 Christina Grimmie

Christina Grimmie made her debut on The Voice season 6 in 2014. The young musician sang the Miley Cyrus song “Wrecking Ball” and got three coaches to turn within the first thirty seconds of her performance. Christina’s singing got Adam, Usher, Shakira, and Blake to stand up from their seats to give her a round of applause for her powerful voice. Adam even told the singer that she had the potential to be a “huge star” and later went on to coach her as part of his team.

Similar to Beverly, Christina got third place in The Voice season 6. Soon after the show, she got much recognition on social media as her songs entered the top 10 list on iTunes multiple times. Unfortunately, after a fatal incident in 2016. After Christina’s performance at a concert in Orlando, Florida, a stranger shot her, and she passed away. She was barely 22 years old at the time and was just getting started on her career.

3 Anthony Riley

When Anthony Riley appeared on The Voice season 8, he shocked everyone with his voice. He got all four coaches to turn around in less than ten seconds of him singing James Brown’s “I Feel Good.” After his winning audition for The Voice, the 27-year-old Pennsylvania resident joined Pharrell Williams’ team and won his battle round. However, his journey on the show ended when he decided to withdraw his name from the competition to deal with personal issues. His exit led coach Pharrell to improvise his team.

Anthony didn’t reveal the reason for his exit at the time, nor did The Voice disclose it. However, Yahoo later stated that the young singer left the show to join a two-week rehab program for past substance abuse issues. At the time, Anthony talked about being stressed and “lonely,” but little did people know these were all warning signs. The Voice season 8 contestant committed suicide at the age of 28. He passed away on June 5, 2015, and remains one of the finest singers from the show.

2 Nolan Neal

Nolan Neal from Nashville was one of the musicians who’ve appeared on various TV shows, including The Voice and America’s Got Talent. At age 35, Nolan appeared on The Voice in 2016, where he sang Incubus’ song “Drive” but failed to make it into the teams. However, he didn’t give up and returned a few months later with a vengeance. Upon returning to The Voice season 11, Nolan turned all the judges by singing Elton John’s hit “Tiny Dancer” and made it into Adam’s team.

Nolan’s unique voice took him to the knockout rounds, where he showcased his singing skills in a praiseworthy performance. However, he faced elimination in that round but later appeared in America’s Got Talent season 15. Nolan was a unique talent who made a big fanbase for himself on social media. Unfortunately, he passed away at the age of 41 in July 2022 due to “acute combined drug toxicity.” The famous The Voice contestant’s fan page announced his passing with a sweet caption, “Sing in peace with the angels. The world is missing a bright light and Heaven just got a new music director. 10.05.80- 07.18.22.”

1 Janice Freeman

Janice Freeman appeared in The Voice season 13, where she rocked the stage with her performance. The 32-year-old California resident sang Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive” and impressed all the coaches. Janice’s performance was so energetic that Miley Cyrus confidently told her that her version of the song was better than Dan Reynolds’ original. As a result, she joined Miley’s team and went on to perform on multiple episodes. While the singer faced elimination in week 2, she participated in non-competitive performances and continued to win hearts.

Janice got eleventh place and remained a memorable part of The Voice for the months following her debut in 2017. Unfortunately, she passed away in 2019, and her career was cut short due to a medical issue. Janice suffered a blood clot due to pneumonia which entered her heart, causing a pulmonary embolism. According to Mayo Clinic, a pulmonary embolism happens when a blood clot gets stuck in an artery and blocks the blood flow. Janice’s sudden and tragic death impacted her husband and daughter the most. Thankfully, The Voice coach Miley swore she’d support her family in their hard times.