Dylan Carter, the South Carolina singer who stunned all four coaches on Season 24 of The Voice with a performance so emotional it left the room in tears, has died in a car accident. He was 24 years old.
The crash happened late Saturday night, April 25, on a rural stretch of highway in Colleton County, South Carolina. According to the South Carolina Highway Patrol, Carter’s 2026 Tesla sedan was traveling southbound on U.S. Route 21 just after 11 p.m. when it veered off the road, struck a curb, a utility pole, and a fence, then overturned. Carter was the only person in the vehicle. He was transported to a trauma center in Charleston, where he later died from his injuries.
The Colleton County coroner confirmed Carter was wearing his seatbelt at the time and ruled the death accidental. The collision remains under investigation.
The Audition That Left Four Coaches in Tears
If you watched The Voice in the fall of 2023, you probably remember Dylan Carter’s blind audition. It was one of those moments that transcended the show itself.
Carter, then 20, walked onto the stage and sang Whitney Houston’s “I Look to You.” All four coaches turned their chairs: Reba McEntire, Gwen Stefani, John Legend, and Niall Horan. That alone was impressive. But it was what came after the performance that stuck with people.
Carter explained that the song was his late mother’s favorite. She had passed away the previous October, and she’d asked him to sing it at her funeral. He tried. He couldn’t make it through. Standing on The Voice stage, he told the coaches, “When I saw y’all turn around, I saw my mom.” McEntire, Stefani, and Legend were all visibly crying.
Just before stepping on stage that day, Carter had said something that now carries a different weight entirely. “I have not sang this song since my mom’s funeral,” he said. “I couldn’t make it through it, so I’m looking at it as a second chance. I’m gonna make my Mom proud.”
John Legend, fighting back tears after the performance, told Carter: “We’re all very grateful that we get to do this show and we get to meet people like you, and we get to give you this opportunity to perform this song in tribute to your mom. We all felt it too, and we know your mother’s proud of you.”
McEntire then shared her own story about her mother driving her to Nashville when her career was brand new. “Mamas are so special,” she said. “We’re very blessed to have ’em, right?” Carter chose McEntire as his coach on the spot.
He Had Tried Out for The Voice Twice Before
Something a lot of people don’t know is that Carter’s four-chair turn didn’t come on his first try. According to a previous interview Carter did with a local South Carolina station, he had auditioned for The Voice twice before finally making it to the blind audition round. Two rejections before that night under the lights. That kind of persistence tells you something about who this guy was.
He made it to the Battle Rounds on McEntire’s team before being eliminated ahead of the Knockouts. Upon leaving, he told the coaches something that showed zero bitterness: “When y’all four turned around for me, I gained so much confidence that I needed. And I felt my mom, for the first time in a long time. I’m gonna keep chasing my dreams… keep chasing her dreams.”
A St. George Kid Who Never Left South Carolina
Carter was a St. George native with deep roots in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Unlike a lot of contestants who use The Voice as a launching pad to move to Nashville or Los Angeles, Carter stayed put. He performed regularly across the region, including in Mount Pleasant, Santee, and Moncks Corner. Music was a fixture of his life from an early age. His family noted in his obituary that he grew up singing in church, at school, in chapel programs, and local theatre.
But music wasn’t his only gig. Carter also worked as a real estate agent, dubbing himself “The Singing Realtor” on social media. He co-owned Sunny Days RV & Campground near Lake Marion. He often shared posts about taking time away from his busy schedule to spend time in the mountains. Basically, this was a guy who had a lot going on and was building a real life for himself in the community where he grew up.
The Nonprofit He Co-Founded
In 2024, Carter co-founded a nonprofit called The Local Voice, based in Santee, South Carolina. The organization raises funds for women fighting breast cancer and supports families in need. Carter frequently performed at fundraising events for the nonprofit, using his music to draw crowds and donations.
The Local Voice confirmed Carter’s passing in a Facebook post on April 26. Their words were simple and devastating: “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.”
The statement closed with a line that hit hard given the story of his audition: “We are heartbroken, but find comfort knowing he is in heaven with his mother.”
Reba McEntire and Fellow Contestants Pay Tribute
Reba McEntire, who served as Carter’s coach on The Voice, posted a tribute on Instagram after the news broke. “We will miss Dylan so much,” she wrote. “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.”
Ruby Leigh, the runner-up from The Voice Season 24, shared a longer and more personal tribute. She described Carter as someone who showed up for everyone around him, writing that after their auditions aired, “he was the first one to come and congratulate everyone. He was so excited for us all! He was everyone’s biggest fan.” She added that Carter had even traveled to see her make her debut at the Grand Ole Opry and was in the crowd cheering her on.
Fellow Voice Season 24 contestant Kristen Brown also paid tribute publicly. Other former contestants described Carter as “literal sunshine as a human being” and praised his generosity, humor, and support for other artists.
Moncks Corner Lost More Than a Performer
Carter had been scheduled to perform Monday night, April 27, at the Town of Moncks Corner’s “Music on Main” event. When news of his death spread, the town canceled the event.
Moncks Corner Mayor Thomas Hamilton Jr. issued a statement on Facebook calling Carter “a gifted singer” who “frequently entertained our community with his performances at Town events.” The mayor added: “His kindness and charm earned him immense respect, and his absence will be deeply felt. He was much more to our family than an entertainer. He was our friend and we are deeply saddened.”
That word “friend” shows up a lot when people talk about Dylan Carter. Not “performer.” Not “contestant.” Friend. That’s the through line in every tribute, every Facebook post, every statement from the people who actually knew him. The mayor said it. The nonprofit said it. Reba said it. His fellow contestants said it. Everyone keeps coming back to the same thing: he made people feel like they mattered.
What His Family Wants People to Remember
Carter’s family shared an obituary in the days following his death. They said he would be “remembered most for his infectious smile, vibrant personality, and the gift of his beautiful voice.” They also noted that it was his best friend, Lydia Hofstetter, who encouraged him to try out for The Voice in the first place. Without that push, the audition that moved millions of people might never have happened.
The nonprofit he co-founded described Carter as “a proud Lowcountry native” who was “always helping others find a place to belong.” Between the music, the nonprofit work, the real estate career, the RV park, and the constant local performances, it’s clear this was a person who poured himself into everything he touched. Twenty-four years is not a lot of time. Carter packed a remarkable amount of life into it.
The Local Voice said they plan to continue the mission Carter helped start. “We will carry his light forward and continue this mission in his honor,” they wrote.
There’s something especially painful about losing someone who was clearly just getting started. Carter wasn’t coasting on a reality TV appearance from three years ago. He was building something, multiple things actually, all of them rooted in the same small corner of South Carolina where he grew up singing in church. The Voice gave him a moment in front of millions. But the life he was building back home was the real story. And that story ended way too soon on a dark stretch of Lowcountry highway.
