Prince's sister, sInger-songwriter Tyka Nelson, dies at 64
Tyka Nelson, sister of the late musician Prince, with his costumes at the "My Name is Prince" exhibition at the O2 Arena in London, in 2017. Credit: AP/Frank Augstein
Tyka Nelson, the Minneapolis singer and younger sister of music legend Prince, has died. She was 64.
"Tyka Evene Nelson 1960-2024," read a Monday post on her Facebook page. "It's time 4 a new direction / It's time 4 jazz 2 die / 4th day of November / We need a Purple high"
Her cousin Charles "Chazz" Smith also confirmed her death, writing on Facebook: "Our family is very saddened to share the news of my cousin Tyka Evene Nelson who passed away this morning."
The music writer and performer released four albums between 1988 and 2011, according to the Star Tribune. She was set to retire after a farewell concert last June but pulled out due to illness, the newspaper said.
"I really wasn't a singer. I'm a writer. I just happen to be able to sing. I enjoy singing," she told the outlet at the time, adding that she was working on a memoir.
Her brother Prince, a genre-fusing master of music, died in 2016 after accidentally overdosing on fentanyl. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer died at age 57 without a will, leading to one of the largest and most complicated probate court proceedings in Minnesota history, as well as infighting among his six siblings during the protracted legal battle over his multimillion-dollar estate.
Tyka Nelson at the 2016 American Music Awards in Los Angeles. Credit: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/Jordan Strauss
Tyka Nelson was identified early on as the "When Doves Cry" singer's only full sibling, sharing musicians John L. Nelson and Mattie Della Shaw as parents. Less than a month after her older brother died, she told Minnesota's Carver County District Court that she believed Prince died without a spouse, children or surviving parents and she did not know "of the existence of a will."
The complicated case was settled in August 2022 when a Minnesota judge approved an agreement to divide the estate among Prince Legacy LLC and Prince Oat Holdings LLC, companies that were formed to represent the various siblings and heirs. Prince Legacy previously represented the interests of Prince's half siblings Sharon Nelson, John R. Nelson and Norrine Nelson. Meanwhile, Prince Oat Holdings was owned by the music publishing company Primary Wave Music, which acquired the rights to Prince's extensive song catalog when three heirs (Tyka Nelson, Omarr Baker and Alfred Jackson) sold their shares to it in August 2021.
In January, managers of Prince Legacy filed a new lawsuit alleging that four of Prince's family members — half sisters Sharon Nelson and Norrine Nelson, Prince's niece Breanna Nelson and nephew Allen Nelson— improperly attempted to oust the manager from the company, Forbes reported.
Tyka Nelson is survived by sons President and Sir, as well as half siblings Sharon Nelson, Norrine Nelson and Omarr Baker. Her half brother Alfred Jackson died in 2019, and John R. Nelson died in 2021.
David Schwartz covers environmental issues. A native Long Islander, he's worked at Newsday since 2013.
