Young Musician Discovered Dead in Nashville Hotel Room

EDM musician Charles Ingalls was found dead in a Nashville hotel room Friday, police said. The musician, who was from Reno, Nevada, was set to perform at a sold-out show Saturday night at The Caverns venue in Pelham, Tennessee. Ingalls, whose stage name was CharlestheFirst, was 25.

Ingalls was staying at a hotel on McGavock Pike when a friend found him dead in his hotel room. The friend called 911 at 19:28 a.m., Nashville police said. There was no evidence of foul play, and his death will remain “unclassified” until an autopsy and toxicology report are completed by the Medical Examiner’s Office.

Ingalls was a member of The Lab Group, a trio of electronic music producers. The group shared a statement on his death on Instagram Friday. “Early this morning our beloved Charles Elias Ingalls passed away in his sleep,” the statement read. “Amongst many things, Charles was a larger-than-life presence that deeply moved and affected all who knew him.”

“A son, a brother, a friend, a poet, and an absolutely brilliant musician,” The Lab Group continued. “He lived his life with a sense of magic and inspiration that most people only dream of. Charles, we love you more than words can tell and cannot wait to be reunited with you. We promise to honor and cherish you throughout this life and into the next.”

The EDM community mourned Ingalls’ death over the weekend. Musician Maddy O’Neal shared screenshots of text message conversations she had with Ingalls, calling him “one of the realest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.”O’Neal said she spent Friday going through his catalog “in solitude, having moments of all types… sadness and beauty… reflecting on life, friends, love, community and how incredible it is to be a fellow creator and be listening to pieces of your emotional being for eternity,” later adding, “You will forever inspire this community with the mark you’ve made. We will miss you so dearly.”

“After opening up Twitter and scrolling the TL for only a few seconds, it’s not hard to tell that CharlesTheFirst had an immensely positive impact on this scene,” one fan tweeted on Friday. “He made some truly captivating music that captured the hearts of many, and he’s going to be sorely missed.”