Can we see photos please? It is very hard to provide any meaningful advice without being able to see what is actually going on.

Depending on where you are in NC, the recent weather and site conditions, azaleas are only semi-evergreen, meaning they can and will shed some or all of their leaves in the winter and be perfectly fine.

I suppose it is possible that I have two different kinds of azaleas. One is very lush and green all over (not pictured) & the other looks like the pics above. They are about 10 feet from each other.

It does look like you have drought and or freeze caused dieback, both of which we have had in abundance in the last decade. If you are in eastern NC it could even be flood caused dieback.

Azaleas put out new growth right after blooming. A few weeks after bloom will let you know what is alive and what is dead. That would be the time to remove all the dead branches. You can also cut the whole thing down to 12 to 18 inches and regrow it. I do see some green sprouts at the base in the second picture which is a good sign.

After pruning out the dead or cutting it down to regrow, fertilize with an acid plant fertilizer like Holly-tone and mulch.

Thank you so much for the info!

they like regular watering. The roots are mat-like and right up near the surface. They suffer during droughts and high heat.