When Dylan Carter auditioned for season 24 of “The Voice,” he earned a coveted four-chair turn from the coaches and brought country superstar Reba McEntire to tears as he honored his mom, who had died suddenly a year before.
On April 27, 2026, McEntire shed more tears for Carter, saddened to learn about his death at age 24 two days prior. In her Instagram Stories, McEntire posted a photo of Carter from his time on “The Voice” and wrote, “We will miss Dylan so much. 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.”
Why Reba McEntire Was So Touched by Dylan Carter’s Audition
NBCUniversalCarter competed on “The Voice” in 2023, impressing McEntire and her fellow season 24 coaches John Legend, Gwen Stefani, and Niall Horan, with his powerful rendition of Whitney Houston’s “I Look To You” — a song he tried to sing at his mom’s funeral. He couldn’t get through the song then, so he chose to give it another try in his audition.
“I love that song,” McEntire told Dylan after his audition. “I love songs when you can take it spiritual or secular, either one. So much emotion, and I saw it and I felt it, and I heard it when you were singing. That’s the kind of songs that do that to me, too.”
Getting choked up, McEntire continued, “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.”
Before choosing her as his coach, Carter sweetly replied, “That means so much,” and she added, “To me as a performer, that is when you really hone into why you’re put on this earth, that is to touch people’s hearts, and you did.”
Carter was eliminated from the competition during the Battle Rounds, but later said on social media that the experience was the “greatest moment of my life.”
After His Audition on ‘The Voice,’ Dylan Carter Shared an Incredible Message for Those Grieving a Loved One
Carter, a native of South Carolina, posted his audition when it first aired in October 2023 and shared in text over the video that he’d lost his mom exactly one year prior. He even shared words of wisdom for others who were facing a similar loss.
“I still can’t believe I did this,” he wrote. “Thank you all for the support, it means more than yall know! I have received so many messages from you all…And I’m trying to read and reply to all the comments!”
“I lost my mom a year ago on October 15, 2022,” Carter continued. “She loved this song so much and always asked me to sing it at her funeral. I wasn’t able to get through the whole song at her funeral. But I did it here! I did it for her.”
“If you have lost someone close to you and you are buried in grief,” Carter then wrote, “I want you to know YOU are not alone! ❤️ Your loved one lives on through YOU. 😇”
According to WCBD, multiple local officials confirmed that Carter died in a car crash on the evening of April 25 in Colleton County.
The breast cancer charity he co-founded, The Local Voice, also confirmed his death in a tribute on April 26, writing, “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.”
