‘AGT’ contestant’s tragic past brings Sofia Vergara to tears: ‘My family is full of this horrific sickness’
Demo musician Nolan Neal auditioned for season 15 of 'America's Got Talent' in 2020, and the Nashville native's emotional rendition of his original track 'Lost' left Sofia Vergara in tears. “It’s about somebody who thinks that they don’t deserve anything because of the things they’ve done,” Neal explained before his performance. Vergara related to the young musician’s struggle for sobriety and recalled her own family’s dark past. “It was really touching for me to hear your song. I know very well the sickness of addiction. My family is completely full of this horrific sickness, and I totally understand. And to be here tonight and to hear that song, for me, it gives me a lot of hope," the 'Modern Family' actress sentimentally reacted.
Before his AGT audition, Neal had a thriving music career, having signed with two major record labels, and was on the verge of breaking through. But tragedy struck close to home around that time. His father died by suicide. Neal recalled the moment on stage, saying, "I was 26, everything was happening the way I thought it was gonna happen, but my dad called me and told me he was gonna take his life, and so I hung up the phone on him. I was like you can't call your son and say that I can help you,' and he's like aw, son, you're never gonna make it, and the next day, I woke up to the news that he had done it," he recounted. Neal blamed himself for his father’s sudden death, and his life spiraled out of control.
Caught up in hard partying and addiction, the young artist lost his record deals. "When it happened, I really felt like I didn't matter that much; I was like I wasn't important enough for him to stick around. I blamed myself for sure," Neal told the audience and judges. Vergara was moved by his story since it reopened past wounds. As per Yahoo, Julio, the younger brother of the 'Griselda' actress, was a cocaine and alcohol addict who was subsequently deported back to Colombia from the United States due to his numerous drug-related crimes. Neal received a standing ovation from the judges and successfully advanced to the next live rounds. Sadly, he was eliminated during the quarterfinals.
Prior to this, Neal had also auditioned for season 11 of 'The Voice' and landed himself on Adam Levine's team after a flawless performance of the Incubus rock band's hit track 'Drive.' However, Neal passed away from a drug overdose in 2022. His cousin Dylan Seals confirmed it back then, saying that Neal had "ultimately succumbed to his battle with substance abuse." "Unfortunately, it happens too much over the years," Simon Cowell reacted to Neal's death, as per People. "I was thinking about this the other day. People who passed too soon. Every time it happens, because you've gotten to know them, it's horrible."