'Music has helped me to heal me when no one else could': Haunting final post from America's Got Talent star Skilyr Hicks, 23, before her suspected OD death at friend's house
- Skilyr Hicks, 23, was found dead inside a friend's home on Monday in Liberty, South Carolina from a suspected overdose
- Months before she died, she wrote about the healing power of music, saying 'it has helped me cry the tears that I was holding onto for so long'
- Hicks appeared on the eighth season of America's Got Talent in 2013 at the age of 14, where she performed a song called Brand New Day about her dad's death
- Her family revealed Hicks had been battling depression and substance abuse
- She had been in trouble with the law multiple times since appearing on show, including charges for underage drinking and domestic violence
Troubled former America's Got Talent contestant Skilyr Hicks shared haunting comments about how music 'helped me to heal me when no one else could' in her last Facebook post before dying of a suspected drug overdose at age 23.
Hicks - who was found lifeless in a Liberty, South Carolina home Monday - made the comments in June while offering a glimpse into the pain she was feeling.
'I don't make music, music makes me,' she wrote. 'It's my life, the breath in my lungs, and it's the steady beating of my heart.
'It has helped me cry the tears that I was holding onto for so long. It has showed me that I don't have to put on this so called "metaphorical mask" that everyone seems to be putting on these days.'
The Ashtabula, Ohio, native died following years of substance abuse and legal troubles.
Police believe the singer died of an accidental drug overdose, Pickens County Chief Deputy Chad Brooks told DailyMail.com.
Former AGT star Skilyr Hicks, 23, was found dead in a friend's home in Liberty, South Carolina. Hicks was 14 (pictured) when she appeared on the eighth season of America's Got Talent in 2013 for judges Mel B, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Howard Stern, where she performed her original song Brand New Day
Months before her death of a suspected overdose, she posted about how music 'helped me cry the tears that I was holding onto for so long. It has showed me that I don't have to put on this so called "metaphorical mask" that everyone seems to be putting on these days'
She was found lying on a bathroom floor, surrounded by drugs and paraphernalia.
Toxicology tests are being run to determine the exact cause of death, Brooks said.
Her mother, Jodi, told TMZ that her daughter struggled with depression and substance abuse.
Despite her troubles, her mother told TMZ: 'She will live on through her music.'
Hicks appeared on the eighth season of America's Got Talent in 2013 at age of 14, performing an original song, Brand New Day, about her recently deceased father.
The fresh-faced teen received four 'Yeses' from the reality show's judges - Mel B, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Howard Stern - and advanced to the next round before being eliminated.
However, the young singer's emotional struggles led to run-ins with the law after her TV appearance.
On May 5, she was reported missing in Greer, South Carolina, after she left her residence in an unknown vehicle before being found days later, according to ABC13 News.
On May 5, Hicks (pictured in 2013) was reported missing in Greer, South Carolina, after she left her residence in an unknown vehicle before being found days later
Despite finding an adoring crowd on the AGT stage, Hicks struggled and had several run-ins with the law. She was arrested for domestic violence in 2017 after hitting and scratching her grandma, aunt, and sister in Georgia. She was intoxicated at the time and blew a 0.126 BAC
Hicks (pictured second right with sister Breelyn, middle) leaves behind four siblings and her mother
The house in Liberty where her body was discovered is about 40 miles east of Greer. Her mom said she doesn't know the homeowner.
In 2017, she was charged with domestic violence in Georgia after attacking her grandmother, aunt and sister following a night of heavy drinking.
When police took her BAC levels, she was at a staggering 0.126 - above the 0.08 that is considered legal intoxication.
At the time, her sister Breelyn, who suffered scratches in the attack, said the state pressed charges against the musician, not the family.
Hicks was arrested again in November 2018 for underage drinking and intoxication in Findlay, Ohio. The arrest was linked to an incident that occurred a month earlier, TMZ previously reported. It is unclear why she was arrested a month later.
The star's mother said she had been battle depression and substance abuse, but did not disclose how the singer-songwriter died.
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During her appearance on the show, Hicks detailed how she was a self-taught musician who was grieving the loss of her father, who died a few years before her audition. She said she wrote her first original song at his funeral.
She credited music with helping her 'let out all the emotion that was building inside.'
'I started playing after my dad passed away a few years ago,' she said in her confessional on the show during her audition.
In a touching Facebook post, her sister Breelyn said she 'couldn't possibly put into words how broken-hearted' she was
The sisters were close and Breelyn is reeling following the news of her sister's passing
'He made some bad decisions and I hadn't seen him in a few years. The last time I saw him I remember driving away and he was crying.'
She described the song as 'a message that came too late' for her father.
Her mother described the song as 'healing' for the teen.
With powerful lyrics like: 'I pray to God to keep me strong / to give me the will to forget and move on / it's a brand new day / it will be okay,' the teen gave a wowing performance that tapped into the hearts of those watching.
Hicks was arrested in Findlay, Ohio, in 2018 by the Hancock County Sheriff for underage drinking
The short song was met with a standing ovation from all four judges and the roaring crowd. Mandel commented that her belated father was 'watching' and 'glowing with pride.'
Hicks moved on to the Las Vegas round, but was eliminated before the live rounds in New York City.
She went on to upload covers from popular artist like Ariana Grande and Miley Cyrus and released three original songs, including a studio version of Brand New Day.
Her latest Instagram photo - which was posted in May 2020 - is now being flooded with fan's reacting to her passing.
Fans are remembering her stunning vocals and her beautiful soul, leaving messages like 'beautiful voice and person lost' and 'may you sing in heaven and be at peace.'
The singer is survived by her mom and four siblings.
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