‘The Voice’ Remembers Debra Byrd & Ernie Fields Jr.: “They Were Essential To All The Music You Hear On This Show”
It was a night of celebration at The Voice as NBC’s singing competition wrapped Season 25.
Host Carson Daly paid tribute to Debra Byrd and Ernie Fields Jr., who died this past year and were part of The Voice family.
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“We’d also like to take a moment to remember two members of The Voice family that we unfortunately lost this year, the very talented Debra Byrd and Ernie Fields Jr.,” Daly said. “They were essential to all the music that you hear on this show.”
Daly continued, “They both had unrivaled careers in music and entertainment and contributed so much to The Voice. And while they’re no longer with us, they left behind an incredible body of work. They will be missed and always a huge part of our family.”
Byrd, a vocal coach on The Voice and American Idol, died on March 5th in Los Angeles at 72.
Jennifer Hudson, who worked with Byrd on Idol, remembered the vocal coach in a tribute post on social media.
“Heartbroken over the passing of Debra Byrd, the vocal coach on American Idol. She encouraged and supported us from the very beginning,” Hudson shared on X, formerly Twitter. “I am so grateful for everything she taught us. She will be dearly missed, but her legacy lives on through the music of countless artists she influenced during her lifetime.”
Fields Jr., a musician who also worked on The Voice and American Idol, died on March 8 at his home in Pasadena, California, at the age of 89.
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