Skilyr Leigh Hicks (1998
– December 6, 2021) was an American singer-songwriter. She appeared on ''
America's Got Talent
''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distribut ...
''
season 8
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In tempera ...
in 2013, after which she released her debut studio album ''Brand New Day''. She died on December 6, 2021, at the age of 23.
Career
Hicks learned to play the guitar in 2011. By her appearance on ''America's Got Talent'' at age 14 in 2013, she had written 20 original songs and performed in more than 100 shows.
On ''American's Got Talent,'' she sang "Brand New Day", an original song she had written for her late father. The clip of her singing went viral.
She was eliminated in the second round of eliminations.
After the show, she released her nine-track album ''Brand New Day''. Later that year, she appeared on the album ''The 12 Bands of Christmas: Vol. 10'', singing "Snowflakes in the South".
On her
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
channel, Hicks released covers of
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...
's version of the song "
Say Something" and
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
's "
Make You Feel My Love
"Make You Feel My Love", also known as "To Make You Feel My Love" is a song written by Bob Dylan for his album '' Time Out of Mind'', released in September 1997. It was first released commercially in August 1997 by Billy Joel for his compilation ...
".
Personal life
Hicks attended
North Augusta High School
North Augusta High School is a four-year public high school located in North Augusta, South Carolina. Approximately 1,500 students attend the school. The school offers over thirty student organizations. North Augusta is an AP Magnet School and i ...
in
North Augusta, South Carolina
North Augusta is a city in Aiken and Edgefield counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina, on the north bank of the Savannah River. The population was 21,348 at the 2010 census. The city is included in the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) ...
. In April 2015, Hicks went missing after school and her mother posted on
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
asking for the public's help. Hicks was found that same day.
She went missing again in May 2021 with police asking for the public's help in trying to locate her.
The police stated Hicks struggled with mental health issues at that time.
She was located five days later.
Hicks had been in trouble with the law on multiple occasions. In 2017, she was arrested and jailed for assaulting three family members while drunk. She spent more than 10 days in jail for the assaults.
In November 2018, she was arrested for underage drinking and then failed to appear in court on multiple occasions.
On December 6, 2021, she was found dead at a friend's house in
Liberty, South Carolina
Liberty is a city in Pickens County, South Carolina, United States. It is part of the Greenville– Mauldin– Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city was chartered on March 2, 1876.
Toponymy
How exactly Liberty got its name has b ...
, of "a possible overdose."
Discography
See also
*
List of solved missing person cases
Lists of solved missing person cases include:
* List of solved missing person cases: pre-2000
* List of solved missing person cases: post-2000
See also
* List of kidnappings
* List of murder convictions without a body
* List of people who dis ...
*
List of unsolved deaths
This list of unsolved deaths includes well-known cases where:
* The cause of death could not be officially determined.
* The person's identity could not be established after they were found dead.
* The cause is known, but the manner of death (homi ...
References
External links
*
*
1998 births
2010s missing person cases
2020s missing person cases
2021 deaths
21st-century American singer-songwriters
America's Got Talent contestants
Drug-related deaths in South Carolina
Formerly missing people
Missing person cases in South Carolina
People from North Augusta, South Carolina
Singer-songwriters from South Carolina
Unsolved deaths in the United States
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