Tyka Nelson, Prince’s only full sibling and singer, dead at 64

Posted On November 6, 2024November 6, 2024

Minneapolis singer-songwriter Tyka Nelson, who was Prince‘s only full sibling, has died at the age of 64, her son has confirmed.

Nelson’s son, President Nelson, revealed his mother passed away at North Memorial Health in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. He also clarified a cause of death has yet to be confirmed, and he is expected to not know any more “for a couple of days.”

Born in 1960 to jazz musician John L. Nelson and Mattie Della Shaw, Nelson emerged as a musical talent in 1988 with her debut, Royal Blue. This album contained some of her biggest hits, including ‘Marc Anthony’s Tune’ and ‘L.O.V.E.’, but it was only the beginning of her journey in the music world.

From the beginning, Nelson instated a distinctive fusion of jazz, funk, and soul, with Royal Blue introducing her ability to reframe melancholic yearning with her highly emotive vocal abilities. The singer would release three more albums over the course of her career, including Yellow Moon, Red Sky, A Brand New Me, and Hustler, her final release, in 2011.

Discussing her brother, Prince, she once said, “The funniest thing is people say, ‘How does it feel to be Prince’s sister?’ They don’t actually realise what they’re saying. I’ve been Prince’s sister ever since I got here on Earth.”

In a statement shared by Nelson’s son, he wrote: “Born 1960, the daughter of Mattie and John Nelson, she was best known as Prince’s sister and worked to keep his legacy alive with his fans attending fan and industry events,” adding: “Services will be private, and in lieu of flowers, the family has asked that you take care of one another.”

Nelson was reportedly scheduled to perform a farewell concert at the Dakota in the summer of next year and had previously revealed she had been working on a mixtape and a memoir. However, she then cancelled her performance, citing ill health.

Prince died of a fentanyl overdose in 2016 in Minneapolis at the age of 57. After his passing, Nelson reflected on some of their final moments, telling People: “He kept avoiding questions. I kept getting mad. I felt like, ‘Talk to me for two seconds.’ He’d change the subject, make a joke and then we’d both laugh.”

Nelson is survived by five grandchildren and two sons, President and Sir. At this stage, no cause of death has been revealed regarding the late singer’s death, but it’s set to be revealed in due course.

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