Contestant of the hit reality TV singing competition The Voice on NBC died by taking his own life on June 5 and his body was found at the basement of his apartment in Philadephia.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Riley left the show to handle his substance-abuse case. For the past 10 years, he was busy singing outside Reading Terminal Market, Penn's Landing and Independence Hall. He had made a name for himself in his hometown by doing a lot of Motown songs and popular music in exchange for tips.
Riley's family opened up saying, he was working on an album after he left the show last January of this year, but his issue with drugs continued and it was something that he was struggling with. The Washington Post said that Riley's friend Tootsie Lovine, confirmed the Philadelphia Inquirer about his late friend's suicide.
The former contestant was a 4-chair-turner during the Blind Auditions at The Voice. He chose to sing a James Brown song, which immediately won the hearts of the judges. He picked Pharrel Williams to be his mentor. He wasn't able to continue with the show after his first battle round because he went back to his hometown to undergo rehabilitation to deal with his drug abuse. By March, he was said to have completed his time there, which was even paid by the network.
Robby Parsons told the Philly Inquirer that although he had some problems to deal with, he was undoubtedly a kind and gentle person.
Time Magazine also gathered some information and this time, it is what the network NBC had to say about the singer's untimely death. According to the network, they are sad on Riley's passing and they are sending their deepest condolences to his loved ones in this very difficult time. Meanwhile, his voice coach Pharell refused to give any comment about the matter.
