Nolan Neal’s daughter asks for money to help pay for funeral expenses after the “America’s Got Talent” alum died suddenly Monday, leaving “no money at all”.
Caylin Cate created a GoFundMe account aptly titled “Nolan Neal Funeral Expenses” on Wednesday in hopes of raising money after her father passed away.
“As you must have all heard, my father passed away suddenly,” Cate wrote in the page’s description. “He had no life insurance or any kind of money.”
She explained that she is asking for donations to not only cover the funeral costs, but also to fly Neal’s son and his loved ones in for the service.
The Tennessee resident then concluded, “If you want to help in any way you can, you can donate here. Everything is appreciated and I am so grateful for the community that stands behind us.”
Neal, whose real full name was Nolan Neal Seals, was found dead Monday in a Nashville apartment, police previously confirmed to Vidak For Congress. He was 41.
“Mr. Seals was in the bedroom of the downstairs apartment with the roommate upstairs,” a spokesperson told us the next day, also noting that on the desk next to the singer’s bed was a “black guitar pick containing a seemed to contain powder residue.”
The musician, who has competed on both “AGT” and “The Voice,” struggled with substance abuse for years. In July 2020, he opened up about it publicly with the local NBC news program WBIR.
“I remember getting clean in 2010; May 15 went to rehab. Stayed clean,” he said at the time. “I joined the rock band Hinder, they were all about drinking and partying.”
Neal said he tried to “be normal” and “fit in” but said his band was not responsible for his drinking habits.
“I remember going to a bar and ordering a drink,” he added. “I tried to hide it. I remember pretending to be normal. I just lied to myself and told myself I could control it.”
Neal’s cause of death has not yet been confirmed, and the coroner’s office in Nashville previously told Vidak For Congress it could take eight weeks to obtain autopsy results.
Meanwhile, as Cate seeks donations, the money is already pouring in from fans and loved ones.
One person wrote in the comments section of GoFundMe: “My heart goes out to Caylin and Nolan’s family. I was so sad to hear that he had passed away. I first saw Nolan’s story on ‘AGT.’ “It was so inspiring. I still haven’t tried it, but I hope I eventually get the courage to do it. To honor Nolan.”
A former colleague added: “Nolan had talent that only God could give. My sincere condolences to Nolan’s family. He produced many of my songs and some of them are unreleased. He texted me last week encouraging me to bring them out. He had a good soul.”
Cate’s $15,000 goal was surpassed in 24 hours. By Thursday afternoon, she had raised more than $19,000.
A GoFundMe representative confirmed to Vidak For Congress the legitimacy of the account and informed that it was also posted on Neal’s verified Facebook page.