Simon Cowell Speaks out About Death of ‘America’s Got Talent’ Alum Nolan Neal

Simon Cowell is mourning the loss of former America’s Got Talent contestant Nolan Neal, calling his death “hard” and “horrible.”Neal, who competed on Season 15 of AGT and also competed on The Voice, died last month following a battle with substance abuse.

Ahead of the NBC competition series’ Season 17 live shows on Tuesday, Cowell opened up about Neal’s passing. Speaking to PEOPLE, the AGT judge noted, “unfortunately, it happens too much over the years. “I was thinking about this the other day. People [who] passed too soon.” However, despite the losses, Cowell admitted that it doesn’t get easier, sharing, “every time it happens, because you’ve gotten to know them, it’s horrible. At that moment, it’s like, ‘What can I say?’ The unfortunate thing is it’s happened too many times and every time it happens, it’s hard.”

Cowell went on to note, “the unfortunate thing is it’s happened too many times and every time it happens, it’s hard,” before calling attention to the death of Nightbirdie. A breakout star on America’s Got Talent Season 16 who earned Cowell’s Golden Buzzer, Nightbirdie passed away in February at 31 following a battle with cancer.

“After the last three years, it’s been tough. And then, you think everything’s okay and then something hits you like a story like that and it’s hard,” Cowell said. “But all I can say is, what I’ve learned from this, is that you just take every day as it is and you try and stay positive, you try and stay healthy. That’s it. I mean, I was talking about this to someone earlier on, you’re never prepared for these days.”

Neal was found dead in his apartment on July 18. He was 41. The Nashville-based artist’s cause of death has not yet been released by the medical examiner, though his cousin, Dylan Seals, previously told PEOPLE that Neal “ultimately succumbed to his battle with substance abuse,” noting that Neal “was always open and honest about [his substance abuse] struggles.”

Neal appeared on season 11 of The Voice in 2016. During his time on the show, he gained recognition following his audition performance of the Incubus song “Drive,” which earned him a spot on Adam Levine’s team. Although he was eliminated during the season’s 13th episode, Neal continued his music career, appearing on America’s Got Talent Season 15 in 2020. The musician made it to the Quarterfinals in the Judges’ Choice before he was eliminated.