Anthony Riley, Philly Street Singer Who Competed on The Voice, Dead at 28

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9gAl7ir8qo

Anthony Riley, the soulful street singer who would perform at Rittenhouse Square and Reading Terminal, died on Friday after ending his own life.

Riley, who we named Best Street Performer in 2014, recently competed on The Voice, and made headlines when he had to leave the show to deal with substance-abuse issues.  The Inquirer has more:

Anthony Riley, 28, a Philadelphia street performer who left NBC’s singing-competition show The Voice in January to deal with substance-abuse issues, was found dead Friday.

Over the last decade, Riley had been a fixture in Center City Philadelphia, crooning Motown and pop songs for tips on the bustling streets outside Reading Terminal Market, Penn’s Landing, and Independence Hall.

Since leaving [The Voice], he had been working on an album but continued to struggle with addiction, his friends and family said Saturday.

Riley took his life, and was found Friday in the basement of the Center City apartment where he was staying, said Tootsie Iovine. Iovine and her brothers both own shops in Reading Terminal, and had been “like family” to Riley.

More from the Inquirer here.

For confidential support if you are having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Learn about the warning signs of suicide at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.