May 22, 2015 Wine & Cheese event at the Impact Hub (Philly) Pictured: Ebonie V., Tiffany MoniQ & Anthony Riley)

On Saturday as I scrolled through my timeline on Facebook I stumbled across some sad news. Philadelphia’s own Anthony Riley who was a recent contestant on The Voice was reported dead in the basement of his Philadelphia apartment (Actual Date Unknown). It was a surprise to see Anthony out and about that weekend at and all who was there was glad to see him. He seemed well and we talked for about 10 minutes as we sipped on our “Fire Balls” served at the event that night.

I post this article only because I too have known what it was like to be depressed and even wanted to take my life on countless of times. The void of feeling unloved and appreciated can make anyone of us feel as if we don’t matter and that no one truly loves us. There are many who lose the battle and then there are those who are survivor’s such as myself. It hurts my heart to know that it could have been me just a few short years ago and I thank God for not allowing my inner trials consume me to the point of ending the life he gave. I pray for his family and friends who showed all the love that they could but to Anthony it just wasn’t enough to fill the void that only God himself could fill.

The only thing I can remember about our conversation is him telling me  how it was his first time out on the town since he came back home from L.A. tapping with The Voice. He was working on some new music and back and forth from Philly to New York recording and in pursuit of his dreams. I didn’t know him very well but I knew he was a struggling musician who sung on the corner of 17th & Market Streets over the years and all his hard work led him to be noticed. It’s sad to know that all that he was dealing with emotionally got the best of him. A promising life and awesome talent Gone Too Soon!