Gay The Voice Contestant Anthony Riley Found Dead

[Another Obama Voter Down]

Anthony Riley, a breakout contestant on season 8 of NBC's The
Voice, was found dead Friday, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
He was 28.

Riley, a beloved street performer in Philadelphia's Center City,
was chosen by all four judges within seconds of his audition,
singing James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)." But he left the
show after the first battle round in January to seek help for
substance-abuse issues.

His body was reportedly found in the basement of his
Philadelphia apartment building.

NBC Network tells PEOPLE in a statement, "We are sad over the
passing of Anthony Riley. We offer our deepest condolences to
his friends and family during this very difficult time."

The Philadelphia police and reps for the singer's coach on the
show, Pharrell Williams, did not respond to requests for comment.

Friends and family told The Philadelphia Inquirer that Riley had
been working on an album since leaving the show, while
continuing to struggle with addiction.

http://www.people.com/article/anthony-riley-the-voice-suicide-
dead