Tyka Nelson, the younger sister of musician Prince and a musician in her own right, died on Monday, Nov. 4, at the age of 64.
The Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter’s death was confirmed to the Minneapolis Star Tribune by her eldest son, President Nelson. A cause of death was not disclosed. A rep for Prince’s estate also confirmed Nelson’s passing to Variety.
Born in Minneapolis on May 18, 1960, Tyka was Prince’s only full sibling, born to their father, musician John L. Nelson, and Mattie Shaw Nelson. The two also shared several half-siblings.
As her brother’s star rose in the 1980s, Tyka was building a musical career of her own, releasing four albums between 1988 and 2011. After her last known public performance in Australia in 2018, she was scheduled to headline her retirement and farewell concert at Twin Cities music venue The Dakota in June 2024 but was unable to participate due to illness. “The concert — in which she was set to be the emcee and sing a couple of songs — went on without her,” reported the Star Tribune.
“I’m getting older,” Nelson told the outlet ahead of the concert, adding. “I really wasn’t a singer. I’m a writer. I just happen to be able to sing. I enjoy singing.” At the time, she disclosed that she had been writing a memoir.
Tyka Nelson was among six siblings designated Prince’s legal heirs following his sudden death in 2016. As previously reported by theGrio, the prolific musician died without a will or other estate plan in place, leaving his survivors to battle over the future of his assets, including unreleased music. With holdings valued at $156.4 million, Tyka and two other siblings ultimately sold their interests to Primary Wave Music, which currently shares equal stakes with the other three siblings and their advisors.
While Prince’s heirs occasionally battled over his assets, they collectively transformed the artist’s famed Minnesota studio and residence, Paisley Park, into a museum and have released several compilations of his music, among other projects.
In addition to her son, President, Tyka Nelson’s survivors include her son Sir, sisters Sharon and Norrine Nelson, and a brother, Omarr Baker.
“She had her own mind,” Sharon Nelson told the Tribune following her sister’s death on Monday. “She’s in a better place.”