Lily Meola’s original song “Daydream” from America’s Got Talent season 17 brought tears to everyone’s eyes. And not just because of the emotional lyrics, but because the star wrote it while her late mother was battling cancer.
So, who are Lily Meola’s parents? Let’s find out all about them as this article continues.
Who Are AGT Star Lily Meola’s Parents?
AGT star Lily Meola’s parents are Nancy Meola and Gary Meola. And just like her song says — When we were kids in the backyard. Playing astronauts and rock stars. Nobody told us to stop — they were supportive parents.
Plus, Lily’s tribute to her late mother with her AGT audition only proves that her mother always pushed the star to pursue her dreams, even after her death.
During her audition, Lily told the judges that the song held a special place in her heart. She wrote it when things were going well, during a beautiful period in her life filled with wonder and joy. She also explained that she came up with the idea for the song around the time she had a record deal and a publishing deal. But then her mother was diagnosed with cancer and she sacrificed her record deal to take care of her.
The star wasn’t upset about losing her record deal, however. In fact, she saw the moment as a blessing in disguise because it gave her “more time to really be there for her.”
Also, if it weren’t for cancer, she would never have gotten the gold button.
Meet AGT Star Lily Meola’s Mom, Nancy Meola
Lily Meola’s mother, Nancy Meola, was her light and biggest supporter. But sadly, she was diagnosed with cancer in 2010. So Lily put her career on hold and even became her full-time caregiver for a year and a half before she passed away in 2020.
But despite the grueling years, Lily’s mother always told her to never give up on her dreams. “I was really alone with my mom for the last few years. She was very adamant that I keep my dreams alive,” the star recalled.
It’s no surprise that all tours were halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and with the pain of losing her mother, Lily never gave up hope.
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Nancy Meola Cause of Death
Nancy Meola died of cancer in June 2020.
She lost her mother Susan Syliva Herschler (August 6, 1924 – October 23, 2009), who gave birth to three beautiful daughters, Janet (Ken) Millian, Judith Stimmel and Nancy.
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How old was Nancy Meola at the time of her death?
Nancy Meola was born on March 18, 1959. That means she was 61 years old at the time of her death.
Also, this means she gave birth to Lily when she was 35 years old.
On Nancy’s 62nd birthday, Lily shared a photo with Nancy on her IG with the caption: “Missing you so much it hurts🤍Happy birthday, my dear mom.”
After graduating from Orange Coast College in 1979, Nancy Meola began her career in marketing and event planning at the Maui Film Festival.
In 2008, she took a job as “assistant to Shep Gordon, Manager of Matt and Lily Meola and Albee Layer” at Alive Enterprises and worked there until her death.
Find her on Instagram at @nancy_meola.
Also, here is her Facebook @nancy.meola1.
Meet AGT stars Lily Meola Cha, Gary Meola
AGT star Lily Meola may be very close to her mother, but the same can’t be said about her father, Gary Meola. The star has never really talked about him.
Scroll down below to find out what little we know about him.
Gary Meola’s age is not disclosed.
But we do know that Gary celebrated his birthday on November 12.
Gary Meola is a real estate broker. Last we checked, he worked for Coldwell Banker Island Prop in Kihei, Hawaii.
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Is Gary Meola on Instagram?
Yes, find him on Instagram @meolagary.
Also, here is his Facebook @gary.meola6.
Related FAQs
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How long were AGT star Lily Meola’s parents married?
Lily’s parents, the AGT star, were together for at least two decades. They reportedly split before 2009, and Nancy dated Greg Maddock (a Fresh Island Fish employee) until her death.
Nancy’s last love, Greg, is a San Diego State University graduated from Costa Mesa, California and has a daughter named Jess.
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How many children does AGT star Lily Meola have?
AGT star Lily’s parents have two children — Lilly and Matt Meola.
Their son Matt is a professional surfer and stuntman. As of 2022, he has worked at Rockstar Energy Drink, DAKINE, and Sanuk. He is also quite popular on social media. His IG @mattmeola boasts and FB @Matt Meola (fan page) boasts over 104k and 15k followers as of 2022.
Matt turns 33 on June 8, 2022.
On Matt’s 30th birthday, Lily shared a childhood photo of them on IG with the caption: “Happy Birthday Matt, love you💗 @mattmeola.”
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Where Do AGT Star Lily Meola’s Parents Live?
AGT Star Lily’s father, Gary, lived in Paia, Hawaii. While her mother, Nancy, a native of Kuau, Hawaii, lived in Haiku, Hawaii, at the time of her death.