Former Voice Contestant Dies At 24 In Tragic Accident, And Coach Reba McEntire Pays Tribute

The Voice logo
(Image credit: NBC)

The Voice family has suffered a tragic loss, as it was reported that Season 24 contestant Dylan Carter died Saturday night in a car accident in South Carolina. He was 24 years old. During his time on the singing competition, Carter was a member of Reba McEntire’s team after earning a Four-Chair Turn in the Blind Auditions. Upon hearing about Carter's passing, McEntire paid tribute to her former team member.

Dylan Carter was reportedly killed in a single-car accident at 11:42 p.m. Saturday, April 25, in Colleton County, South Carolina, according to TMZ. He was set to perform Monday, April 27, at a local “Music on Main” event, but the event has since been canceled.

Dylan Carter performs I Look to You on The Voice Season 24.

(Image credit: NBC)

The singer was 20 years old when he competed on The Voice, earning a Four-Chair Turn for his rendition of Whitney Houston’s “I Look to You.” He picked Reba McEntire as his coach, and in light of the tragic news of his death, McEntire posted the following to her Instagram Stories:

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Reba McEntire pays tribute to Dylan Carter, a contestant on The Voice Season 24, after his death in a car accident at age 24.

(Image credit: Reba McEntire's Instagram Stories)

Fans of The Voice may remember that Dylan Carter’s audition song in 2023 was one that he’d tried to perform at his mother’s funeral the year before, but he’d become overwhelmed with emotion and wasn’t able to finish.

He finished it on that day, though, with Reba McEntire, Gwen Stefani, Niall Horan and John Legend all amazed with the performance. In the end, though, it was the Queen of Country who got to work with him. You can see his emotional performance of “I Look to You” below:

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Dylan Carter was eliminated in the Battle Round of Season 24, after he and fellow Team Reba member Tom Nitti dueted to Cody Johnson’s “‘Til You Can’t.”

After his stint on The Voice, Dylan Carter went on to co-found the nonprofit The Local Voice, which helps to support women fighting breast cancer and their families. The group honored Carter in an emotional Facebook message, writing:

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. 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. … 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.

It sounds like Dylan Carter touched a lot of people's lives, and it's always awful to hear about losing someone so young. Our condolences go out to Dylan Carter’s family and friends at this time.

Heidi Venable
Content Producer

Heidi Venable is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend, a mom of two and a hard-core '90s kid. She started freelancing for CinemaBlend in 2020 and officially came on board in 2021. Her job entails writing news stories and TV reactions from some of her favorite prime-time shows like Grey's Anatomy and The Bachelor. She graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a degree in Journalism and worked in the newspaper industry for almost two decades in multiple roles including Sports Editor, Page Designer and Online Editor. Unprovoked, will quote Friends in any situation. Thrives on New Orleans Saints football, The West Wing and taco trucks.

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