‘The Voice’ Australia Singer Natalie Stuart Dead at 43

Natalie Stuart, a contestant on The Voice Australia last year, died Wednesday after a battle with cancer. She was 43 years old. Stuart was coached by singer Delta Goodrem, who paid tribute to Stuart with a heartbreaking Instagram post.

Stuart died at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, surrounded by her family, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. Performers Tiana Arena, Leo Sayer, Richard Clapton, Jimmy Barnes and others visited her in the hospital before her death.

The singer, who performed backup vocals for Michael Bolton and several other recording artists before competing on The Voice, was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2018. She underwent 20 weeks of chemotherapy.

Although she had been in the music business for two decades, she decided to try out for The Voice to bring awareness to breast cancer and be an inspiration to viewers.

“I felt it was really important to put myself out there because I haven’t seen women who look like me on TV, going through treatment,” Stuart told 9Honey last year. “I wanted to make sure that younger women knew that you can get breast cancer at a young age.”

Stuart said singing was a way to help her cope during her treatments. She impressed the judges immediately with her performance of Beyonce’s “I Was Here.” All four coaches turned their chairs around, including Beyonce’s former Destiny’s Child bandmate Kelly Rowland. However, she chose Goodrem.

“I want to prove that you can still live a meaningful life through treatment and beyond, that life doesn’t have to stop,” Stuart said.

In July 2019, after The Voice Australia wrapped up its season, Stuart said she had no regrets about going on national television and opening herself up to viewers at home.

“I am so incredibly happy that I chose to take part in [The Voice] this year,” she wrote on Instagram. “Going on a show like that is always a leap of faith… you never know what is going to happen let alone how you’ll be received. For some reason, I decided that the right time to put myself onto national television was while I was going through one of the most vulnerable periods of my life but I am so glad I did! It was amazing to go through a rebirth of sorts on a show like this and the fact that I’ve had such an incredible, positive response is beyond anything I could’ve expected.”

“We are forever grateful to have had Tash orbit our world and be a part of our voice family. She radiated joy, beauty and strength and touched everyone she met with her talent. Our love goes out to her family, her friends and the entire Australian music industry,” The Voice executive producers Leigh Aramberri and Chloe Baker said in a statement to the Morning Herald.

“The beautiful soul [Stuart] touched and inspired the lives of everyone she met,” Goodrem wrote on Instagram. “My heart breaks right now along with the music community, her family and friends. Rest In Peace musical friend. May you be with the angels singing.”

Photo credit: YouTube/The Voice Australia