Singer Ryan Nealon describes himself as a singer, songwriter, and dreamer, and listening to his lyrics, I can see why. Although he has been intimately acquainted with personal loss his whole life, Nealon lets himself imagine what better looks like. As a small child, the artist lost his mother to a drunk driver. His aunt and uncle took him in and adopted him, giving him the childhood they knew he deserved.

“Growing up, my aunt did everything in her power to make sure I had the best childhood possible. She was my superhero. I went to the best schools, had the best friends, got everything I could ever need, and it was all thanks to her sacrifice. My aunt and uncle would always tell me stories about my mom to keep her memory alive. Eventually, I started calling her mom because that’s what she was to me.”

I’m so glad he had a happy childhood in spite of the terrible loss he and his family endured. His coming out story was as tender as anyone else’s, but he had the support of his family and friends, thank goodness. But troubles comes back for all of us. As happened to so many artists, in 2020, just as Nealon had quit his day job and truly launched his music career, Covid ground it to a screeching halt, and back to the corporate world he was forced to go. Happily, in 2023, his first album gave him the momentum he needed to relaunch his music career. While he lost his dad (Uncle Rudy) in 2024, not even that grief could extinguish this remarkable artist’s light. I love his story and his lyrics and voice are sweet and vulnerable and brutally honest and just what I need right now.

You can follow Ryan Nealon on his website and on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Spotify, and Facebook.