When 14-year-old singer-songwriter Skilyr Hicks auditioned for Americaâs Got Talent in 2013, the judges werenât prepared to have their hearts completely broken by her emotional original song.
Composed just days after her fatherâs funeral, Skilyr had the entire audience sobbing when she battled her nerves and set her grief aside to serve this song of hope and healing.
Her audition has since racked up more than 104,000 views on its most recent YouTube upload alone. But hidden beneath her TV performance is an even darker story. Music Man readers can catch their first glimpse of Skilyr in the video aboveâŠ
In her audition, Skilyr reveals sheâs been singing since she was âa baby.â With tears welling in her eyes, she tells the judges how she began playing guitar after her dad passed away and how she wrote her first song after attending his funeral.
Skilyrâs mom, Jodi, tells interviewers that music brought her daughter a sense of healing from the trauma of her dadâs untimely death. And, as Skilyr stands before the judges, the clearly downcast teen lets her truth shine bright as her original acoustic ballad holds them spellbound from its first lines.
Itâs an emotional, country-inspired pop song with a positive message of recovery, belief, and of moving forwards. The audience claps in time as the judges feel her pain, soon thanking Skilyr for sharing her story and praising the beautiful voice behind her nerves. They give Skilyr four out of four Yes votes, sending her through to the next round. Unfortunately, Skilyr was eliminated before making it through to the live shows.
That wasnât the end of Skilyrâs music career, though. She released her debut album, âBrand New Day,â alongside a host of YouTube covers including Great Big Worldâs âSay Somethingâ and Bob Dylanâs âMake You Feel My Love.â
In 2021, the media was shocked to learn of Skilyrâs death at the age of 23. TMZ reported Skilyrâs body was found lifeless on the floor of a friendâs bathroom in South Carolina, where âdrugs and paraphernaliaâ were found at the scene. Police suspected a drug overdose following Skilyrâs reported battles with depression and substance abuse.
She is survived by her mom, Jodi, and four siblings â one of whom shared her condolences on Facebook, writing: âMy super beautiful, extremely talented, hilarious, free spirit of a sister left this world to be with Jesus. I canât possibly put into words how broken-hearted I am. I will miss her like crazy. Iâll miss her voice, her long warm hugs, her constantly making jokes using puns. Her ability to create music that inspired thousands of people. She had so much life left to live [âŠ] You will live on in our hearts, minds, memories, and through your God Given Musical Ability. Your songs are your legacy.â
Skilyr Hicksâs raw talent and courage on the AGT stage left an indelible, heartbreaking impression â a powerful testament to musicâs healing.