Former ‘AGT’ Contestant Skilyr Hicks Dies at 23
Skilyr Hicks, a former contestant on “America’s Got Talent,” died earlier this week, TheWrap has confirmed. She was 23 years old.
Hicks died on Dec. 6, and her death is currently being investigated as a possible overdose, Chief Deputy Chad Brooks, from the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, confirmed to TheWrap. Her death is still under investigation.
Hicks first performed for then judges Mel B, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Howard Stern in 2013 as a competitor on Season 8 of the reality competition show.
According to TMZ, Hicks’ mother Jodi said Skilyr was found in the home of a friend in South Carolina.
“She will live on through her music,” her mother told the outlet. She also said her daughter had suffered from depression and substance abuse.
Earlier this year, Hicks briefly went missing after leaving home in an unidentified vehicle, but was found safe. She is survived by her mother and four siblings.
During her first performance on the “AGT” stage, Hicks shared that she originally started performing after her father passed away a few years prior, and she had written a song to honor him.
“I think that you are a beautiful girl,” Klum told Hicks at the time. “And I’m thankful that you shared your story with all of us. It’s a very hard story, I’m sure, for you to tell everyone, and I feel that you won all of our hearts.”
Mel B praised Hicks for having a tone that was “way more mature” than a typical 14-year-old’s, which sent her into “a whole different zone.”
Struggling not to cry throughout her performance, Hicks eventually broke after Mandel’s feedback.
“I’ll tell you something, I have children — I have two little girls — and when I listen to your voice, I imagine them,” Mandel said. “And I would imagine that some place, your father hears your words, and is watching you, and is just glowing with pride.”
A rep from the local coroner’s office didn’t immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for information on Wednesday.
You can watch that performance here and below.
