Ryan Whyte Maloney reportedly passed away on 27 January 2025. Best known for his performances on The Voice, Maloney was all of 44 and is said to have taken his own life. The death of the singer comes as a shock to his fans as he was active on Instagram until a few hours before his death.
Ryan was born in Traverse City located in Michigan in 1981 and was always musically inclined. As a child, Maloney played a wide range of instruments including the guitar, violin, cello, and drum.
A few hours before his death, Ryan posted a video on his Instagram stories that showed him inside a bar. “Nine fine Irishmen for a private party tonight, and we will be rocking,” the star could be heard saying in the clip.
Hours after the clip was posted, the reality show star tragically took his life. The Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner revealed that Ryan Whyte Maloney had died of a gunshot wound to his head.
2. Ryan Whyte Maloney, a season six contestant on The Voice and part of Blake Shelton’s team, has died at 44. The music community mourns his loss, as he recently reflected on his time on the show as a highlight during a difficult period in his life. pic.twitter.com/gjWz7pakvj
— Celeb_news (@Celeb_Chat_hub) January 29, 2025
The singer wowed the judges’ panel by performing the song Lights during his blind auditions. What was remarkable was that all 4 judges turned their chairs for his performance.
Ryan Whyte Maloney appeared on The Voice’s Season 6 where mentor and country star Blake Shelton chose him to be a part of his team. He made his way to the Top 5 contestants in the season that was aired in 2014.
The musician performed Lights by Journey, What’s Love Got to Do with It by Tina Turner, Easy by Rascal Flatts, and Second Chance by Shinedown during the competition.
He went on to perform in the finale of the show and even made it through a few battle rounds. Even though Ryan did not win the show, he managed to become one of the fan favorites during his time there.
Before going on The Voice, Ryan was a part of a band called Indulge. The band recorded an album titled Tomorrow’s Another Day in 2005. The singer performed as a part of the band for a decade before parting ways with them.
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Maloney released his debut album titled Where I’ve Been and it was produced by Sean O’Dwyer. According to People, Ryan’s original tracks were played on the radio in Michigan, Nevada, Colorado, and California from 2010 to 2013.
Hillbilly, Michigan Moonlight, and Living with No Directions were a few of his hit original songs.
In January 2023, the singer released a solo track titled Don’t Put Me in a Box. Ryan also released three more songs in the same year. They were Love with Nowhere to Go, Sleepwalk, and Toast to Tonight.
Throughout 2024, Ryan Whyte Maloney performed at the Ole Red. The singer held a residency at the venue.