Reba McEntire shared an emotional message after the death of a singer who competed on Season 24 of The Voice and was a member of her team on the show.
Dylan Carter, 24, died Saturday, April 25 in Colleton County, South Carolina, according to Charleston-based NBC affiliate WCBD. His season of The Voice aired in the fall of 2023.
The talented singer became a fan favorite after an unforgettable Blind Audition dedicated to his late mother, which got all four Coaches to turn their chairs around for him. He chose McEntire as his Coach and was eventually ousted in the Battles after another emotional performance.
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Reba McEntire’s tribute to The Voice contestant Dylan Carter
McEntire posted a moving tribute to Carter in an April 27 Instagram Story.
“We will miss Dylan so much,” she wrote. “He was a brilliant, kind and talented young man who brought a huge ray of sunshine to The Voice. Rest in peace, my dear friend.”
The NBC reality TV singing competition also released a statement after Carter’s death. “The Voice family is deeply saddened by the passing of Dylan Carter, a remarkable talent whose joy and light were felt by those around him on set,” the show’s statement reads. “Our condolences are with his family, friends, and community. He will be missed.”
Carter was the co-founder of The Local Voice, a South Carolina-based nonprofit that launched in 2024 and provides support for local women with breast cancer and their families.
“With heavy hearts we share the passing of Dylan Carter, co-founder of The Local Voice, talented musician, and someone who meant so much to our community,” the nonprofit said in an April 26 statement. “Dylan was the heart of what we do. He believed every voice matters and lived that every day. Through his music, his kindness, and his smile, he brought people together and made everyone feel seen.”
The Local Voice’s statement added, “We are heartbroken, but find comfort knowing he is in heaven with his mother. We are so grateful for Dylan, for the love he gave this community, and for the impact he leaves behind. We will carry his light forward and continue this mission in his honor.”
Carter’s Season 24 Blind Audition moved all four Coaches, earning him a four-chair turn. McEntire was especially overcome with emotion after Carter finished performing Whitney Houston’s “I Look to You,” which he said he was singing in honor of his late mother since he struggled to make it through the song at her funeral.
“So much emotion, and I saw it and I felt it when you were singing,” McEntire said after Carter’s performance. “That’s the kind of songs that do that to me too, because I saw you get so emotionally involved, and that’s when you know you’ve got a great song and a great singer, when it touches your heart.”
McEntire later added to Carter, “Mamas are so special. We’re very blessed to have ’em, right?”
Dylan Carter after his Voice elimination: “I felt my mom for the first time in a long time”
Carter’s run on The Voice ended after the Battles, and he left the Coaches and fans with these words after his elimination. “When y’all four turned around for me, I gained so much confidence that I needed, and I felt my mom for the first time in a long time. I’m gonna keep chasing my dreams, keep chasing her dreams.”
