Skilyr Hicks, America’s Got Talent Season 8 Contestant, Dead at 23

Skilyr Hicks, a singer-songwriter who appeared in the eighth season of America’s Got Talent, has died at the age of 23.

Hick’s mother Jodi tells TMZ that her daughter was found lifeless at a friend’s home in Liberty, S.C., on Monday. “[Skilyr] will live on through her music,”

“My super beautiful, extremely talented, hilarious free spirit of a sister left this world to be with Jesus,” Hick’s sister Breelyn wrote in a Facebook post about her passing. “I can’t possibly put into words how broken-hearted I am.” She recalled her sister’s “ability to create music that inspired thousands of people.”

Hicks went through the audition process for the NBC competition series in 2013 when she was just 14 years old, famously performing an original song titled “Second Chance,” which she wrote about her late father.

“That was a really difficult time for me,” she said of her father’s death. “Music helped me let out all of the emotion that was building up inside of me.”

Unfortunately, Hicks’ AGT journey was cut short by the judges — Howard Stern, Heidi Klum, Mel B and Howie Mandel — before she made it through to the Season 8 live episodes.

Hit PLAY on the video above to remember Hicks and her music.