A Beloved America’s Got Talent Star Has Died
America's Got Talent contestant Roslyn Singleton sadly passed away after a battle with cancer.
Roslyn Singleton, the fan-favorite wife of singer-songwriter and America’s Got Talent competitor Ray Singleton, died this week. Ray auditioned for the 16th season by singing a love song dedicated to Roslyn in front of judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, and Sofia Vergara. Ray announced in an Instagram post on Wednesday that his wife passed away while sleeping after a long battle with brain cancer.
Before Ray’s 2021 audition, he said that the entire reason he appeared onstage was because of Roslyn Singleton, a U.S. Navy veteran who he described as a brain cancer survivor. The show revealed the history of the couple’s relationship, describing how Roslyn was diagnosed with cancer shortly after their first anniversary. While Roslyn went through chemotherapy, Ray sang to her to make her smile.
“His singing helps guide me through brain cancer,” Roslyn said on the show. “Yeah, it helps a lot.” Roslyn Singleton had previously been diagnosed with brain cancer in 2013, though the most recent diagnosis revealed the tumor to be Glioblastoma, an aggressive, fast-growing variant of the disease. By the time she received her second diagnosis, the tumor had grown to the size of an orange.
Roslyn Singleton told Novant Health that she suspects her cancer came from her service in Iraq. According to her, she was exposed to burn pits that the U.S. military used to incinerate hazardous materials and chemicals. Ray said he had always dreamed of being a singer, but he chose to get a job as a car dealer after college. But after hearing him sing to her as she was suffering, Roslyn said she told Ray to pursue his dream, leading to him appearing on the show.
Ray’s song, I Am Yours, didn’t leave a dry eye in the house, with all judges including Howie Mandel, reacting. Ray’s soulful song gained four yeses from the judges, and he made it onto the shortlist for the season’s deliberations. Despite this, Ray ultimately did not advance to the quarterfinals.
Ray and Roslyn Singleton appeared twice on The Ellen Degeneres Show. Their first appearance was in 2020, before his appearance on America’s Got Talent. The couple was brought on in response to a viral video of Ray singing to his wife before surgery. Two years later, he appeared again with guest host Stephen “tWitch” Boss, who surprised them with a message from NBA star Dwayne Wade.
Roslyn Singleton seemed to be cancer-free during Ray’s 2021 America’s Got Talent audition. Unfortunately, that was not to last. The cancer returned, and the couple did everything they could to combat the fast-moving tumors.
The fight was unsuccessful, and she was eventually admitted into hospice care. At the beginning of November, Ray posted a video of himself singing a new composition, A Song for Ros.
On November 15, Roslyn Singleton died in her sleep at home. Ray said in the Instagram post that that is how she wanted to go. She was 39 years old. Rosalyn is not the only America’s Got Talent fan favorite to die in recent years. Last year, 23-year-old Skilyr Hicks was found dead at her friend’s house.
