'The Voice' Alum Anthony Riley Dead at 28 From Apparent Suicide, Says Friends

Anthony Riley, former contestant on "The Voice," was found dead in the basement of a Philadelphia apartment. CNN states that Riley was only 28-years-old and that he may have committed suicide, according to his close friends.

Riley was a popular street performer in Philadelphia's Center City. CNN adds that Riley specialized in R&B songs from the 1960s. He was named Philadelphia's Best Street Performer in 2014 by Philadelphia Magazine.

Riley was a contestant on Season 8 of "The Voice" but left the show after only a couple of episodes, according to People.

During his blind audition for the show, Riley performed James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)," as seen in the video below.

All four judges immediately turned their chairs after Riley sang only a couple lines of the song. He chose Pharrell Williams to be his coach, reports Entertainment Weekly.

After finishing the first battle round, Riley left the show to focus on his "substance-abuse issues," People has learned.

In an interview with Philadelphia Inquirer, Riley talked about his decision to leave the show.

"'The Voice' has been a really great source of support," Riley said. "At the time, [being on the show] wasn't working for me and I felt like I needed to go, instead of taking on more responsibility than I could handle."

After talking with NBC producers about his drug addiction, Riley was flown back to Philadelphia and entered Clarity Way, a rehab facility in Hanover, PA.

According to People, since leaving the show to concentrate on overcoming his addiction, Riley started working on an album of his own.

Pharrell Williams and his representatives declined to make a comment on Riley's death. However, the NBC Network along with Carson Daly, the host of "The Voice," did extend some words of comfort to Riley's family and friends.

In response to the young man's death, NBC made a statement to People saying: "We are sad over the passing of Anthony Riley. We offer our deepest condolences to his friends and family during this difficult time."

Meanwhile, Entertainment Weekly says Daly offered his condolences to Riley's relatives and friends on Instagram. Daly posted a picture of himself with Riley.

Daly captioned the photo: "Praying for the family and friends of Antony Riley today. It's a heartbreaking loss. He was incredibly talented and loved to sing. God Bless him."