Tyka, the only full sibling of the 'Purple Rain' singer, had been struggling with her health for some time, complicating her planned farewell concert in June.
- November 6, 2024
AceShowbiz - Tyka Nelson, the only full sibling of Prince Rogers Nelson, died on Monday, November 4 at the age of 64. Her death was announced by her son President Nelson to The Minnesota Star Tribune. No cause of death was given, but Ms. Nelson had been in declining health for some time.
Born Tyka Evene Nelson on May 18, 1960, in Minneapolis, Ms. Nelson was the daughter of John L. Nelson, a factory worker who performed as a jazz pianist, and Mattie (Shaw) Nelson, a jazz singer. Her brother Prince rose to fame in the late 1970s with his unique fusion of funk, rock, R&B and the color purple.
Ms. Nelson embarked on her music career in 1988 with the release of her debut album "Royal Blue". The album was compared to the works of Anita Baker, Sade and Laura Nyro. However, Ms. Nelson struggled to escape the inevitable comparisons to her brother.
"I was praying one day, I said, 'Please, God, why can't I sound like CeCe Winans?' " she said in a 2018 interview. "Then people said I sound like him, so it's definitely not intentional."
Despite the comparisons, Ms. Nelson continued to release music, including "Yellow Moon, Red Sky" (1992), "A Brand New Me" (2008) and "Hustler" (2011). She planned to retire and perform a farewell concert in June, but she was too ill to attend.
In addition to her singing career, Ms. Nelson was also involved in promoting Prince's legacy after his death from an accidental fentanyl overdose in 2016. She and her half-siblings engaged in a legal dispute over the handling of Prince's estate, with Ms. Nelson, her half-brothers Omarr Baker and Alfred Jackson selling their shares to Primary Wave Music, LLC.
Ms. Nelson is survived by her two sons, President and Sir, and five grandchildren.
