Las Vegas singer, ‘The Voice’ alum dies at 44

The Las Vegas entertainment community has been shaken with the death of the popular singer/songwriter Ryan Whyte Maloney. A staple in the community who ascended to “The Voice” on NBC has died at age 44.

A Clark County spokesperson confirmed Tuesday that Maloney died in Henderson of a gunshot wound to the head, the cause of death a suicide. He was pronounced dead on the scene at 2:50 a.m. Tuesday.

“This one hurts, to the core,” said Whyte’s friend, performing partner and recording collaborator Sandy Knights said shortly after learning the news Tuesday night. “He was such a gem. He was a wonderful musician, performer, songwriter and recording engineer. He could make songs out of nothing.”

Maloney’s band is hosting a night of music in his honor at Ole Red from 6-10 p.m. Wednesday. His fiancée and manager, Zana Kensington, said the family will hold services in Las Vegas and his original hometown of Traverse City, Mich.

“This is the most painful experience of my life,” Kensington said Wednesday night. “It doesn’t seem real. “

Maloney is survived by his parents, Norman and Robin Maloney; brothers Jeremy and Josh Maloney; and his four children, Prince, Presley, Cash and Jovi.

Maloney was an alum of the 2014 season of “The Voice.” Already a veteran performer, Maloney was a member of Blake Shelton’s Team Blake during his run on the series, advancing after a four-chair turnaround with his rendition of Journey’s “Lights.”

In April, at the opening of Ole Red Las Vegas, Shelton grinned when asked about Maloney’s stint on the show.

“I made him sing, ‘What’s Love Got to Do With It,’ ” Shelton recalled, referring to the Tina Turner hit that took Maloney out of his comfort zone. “It’s great to have him here. I use Ole Red when I’m picking my team. I say, ‘You might not win ‘The Voice,’ but I have these places where you can perform.”

Maloney, who would become one of those performers, was eliminated before the show’s live-broadcast finals. But returned to perform on the season finale, at the request of such artists as Morgan Wallen and Jake Worthington.

Las Vegas singer Cali Tucker was Maloney’s battle partner on “The Voice.” Maloney advanced after taking Shelton’s direction on Turner’s classic.

Tucker and Maloney became close after appearing on the show.

“Ryan changed my life in ways I can never repay,” Tucker posted Wednesday on Facebook. “Without him, I wouldn’t be in Vegas, doing what I love.”

It was Ryan who encouraged me to take a leap of faith and move to Vegas,” Tucker wrote. “He took me under his wing.” The two would appear frequently, kicking it up at Gilley’s and M Bar at M Resort, among other small-capacity venues.

Maloney wound up living a full-circle moment, opening for Shelton for two nights in April. Maloney was in regular rotation at the towering honky-tonk, appearing to have found a performing niche.

Maloney was a classic Las Vegas workhorse who could be spotted at innumerable venues, when he wasn’t performing private and corporate gigs. He spent years as a regular performer at Gaudi Bar and M Bar at M Resort. He also appeared at such haunts as Rocks Lounge at Red Rock Resort, Nine Fine Irishmen at New York-New York, Cromwell, Gilley’s at Treasure Island and Freedom Beat at Downtown Grand.

Maloney was versatile, vocally and musically. While on “The Voice,” Maloney recorded “Lights,” “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “Easy” by Rascal Flatts and “Second Chance” by Shinedown. His originals included “Don’t Put Me In a Box,” “Love With Nowhere to Go,” “Sleepwalk,” and “Toast to Tonight.”

“He was one of the most underrated performers in our city,” his friend of 20 years and fellow Vegas performer, Christine Shebeck, said Tuesday. “It was more than his ability to hit those ridiculous high notes, or play the guitar. He was a great songwriter. He wasn’t known nearly enough for that talent.”

By age 9, Maloney had learned to play guitar, violin, cello and drums. He issued his first album, “Tomorrow’s Another Day,” in 2005. After a hiatus, he issued “Where I’ve Been,” produced by Sean O’Dwyer in Las Vegas. O’Dwyer had worked with such big-name acts as The Black Crowes, Roger Waters, Pink Floyd, Johnny Cash, Emerson Drive, Blink 182, Sum 41 and Phoenix TX.

Maloney then took to the road, promoting the album and performing, before hitting the mark on “The Voice.” As his website states, Maloney “performed in every small club and honky-tonk bar, in addition to performing for national festivals for over 250,000 people.”

Wednesday night, fellow Las Vegas artist Chase Brown performed just before Maloney took the stage at Ole Red.

“He seemed so happy, and gave me the biggest hug,” Brown said. “He gave me a sweet compliment. I’m just in shock.” The two took a couple of selfies together, smiling and hamming it up.

Tucker, who shared the national stage with Maloney, said of her friend and partner, “I don’t want us to forget him. He needs to be immortalized in this town.”

If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, help is available 24/7 by calling or texting the Lifeline network at 988. Live chat is available at 988lifeline.org. Additionally, the Crisis Text Line is a free, national service available 24/7. Text HOME to 741741.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.