"The Voice" alum Ryan Whyte Maloney died by suicide days after celebrating his 44th birthday.
The Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner in Las Vegas confirmed the death Tuesday to People. The coroner ruled the cause of death to be a gunshot wound to the head.
The last video the musician posted on social media was at what appeared to be a bar Monday on his Instagram stories.
"Nine fine Irishmen for a private party tonight, and we will be rocking," he said in the clip, according to People.
Whyte Maloney has previously spoken out about his struggles with mental health, most recently in an Instagram post recounting how he was "at home all depressed after the voice."
"I was trying to pick up the pieces of putting my life together and was getting used to waking up to 60,000 Facebook messages of people who said they knew me that was hilarious and I got a call from The Voice asking me to come back to do the finale and here it is best time of my life ever!" he wrote.
Whyte Maloney, born in Traverse City, Michigan, in 1981, mastered multiple instruments ranging from guitar to violin, cello, and drums before fronting the prog-rock band Indulge, which released "Tomorrow's Another Day" in 2005.
After a decade of touring, he pursued a solo career, recording Where I've Been with producer Sean O'Dwyer. From 2010-13, Maloney performed nationwide as his singles "Hillbilly," "Michigan Moonlight," and "Living with No Directions" gained airplay on country radio across several states.
In 2014, Whyte Maloney captivated audiences on "The Voice" with his blind audition performance of Journey's "Lights," earning a four-chair turn. Joining Blake Shelton's team, he became one of the country star's top five finalists.
During his run, Maloney recorded hit covers of "Lights," Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do With It," Rascal Flatts' "Easy," and Shinedown's "Second Chance." He later returned to perform during the season finale.
In 2024, Whyte Maloney held a residency at Blake Shelton's Ole Red, where he performed regularly. Throughout his career, he shared the stage with Tim McGraw, Morgan Wallen, Rascal Flatts, Shakira, Usher, and Ed Sheeran.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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