Prince’s sister Tyka Nelson dies at 64

Tyka Nelson, sister of the late music icon Prince, has died. She was 64.
Nelson’s son, President Nelson, announced her death Monday in a statement obtained by USA TODAY on Tuesday.
“Multi instrumentalist, songwriter, author, Tyka Nelson, Prince’s sister, died Monday, November 4, at North Memorial hospital in Robbinsdale,” the statement reads. “She is survived by her 2 sons Sir and President, and 5 grandchildren.”
A cause of death was not disclosed. A representative for Prince’s estate also confirmed her death to Variety.
The news was also shared in a post on Nelson’s Facebook page, which quoted lyrics from Prince’s song “All The Critics Love U In New York” that reference the date Nov. 4.
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USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for the Prince estate.
The family statement remembers Tyka Nelson as “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.”
In addition, “Services will be private, and in lieu of flowers, the family has asked that you take care of one another.”
Nelson was also a singer like her famous brother, and she released four albums, the most recent of which debuted in 2011. She and Prince were both the children of musicians John L. Nelson and Mattie Della Shaw. The “Purple Rain” singer also had several half-siblings, including a half-brother who died in 2019 at age 66.
After Prince died from an accidental drug overdose in 2016, Nelson accepted the American Music Award for top soundtrack for “Purple Rain” on his behalf.
“What he told me was that he wanted to be known as the world’s most prolific songwriter, and with 984 titles to his credit and counting, he has done just that,” she said at the time, continuing, “On behalf of Prince, our wonderful friend, teacher and brother, I humbly accept this award.” Looking up and addressing her late brother, she added, “Until we see you again, this is for you.”
Speaking to Studio 10 in 2018, Nelson said she and her brother were “very close” growing up, and “he was kind of told by my parents that he would have to take care of me. So wherever he went, I had to go, too.” She also shared that Prince helped save her life by getting her into rehab when she was struggling with substance abuse.
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Earlier this year, Nelson told the Minnesota Star Tribune that she was retiring from performing and was working on a memoir. “I’m getting older,” she said. “I really wasn’t a singer. I’m a writer. I just happen to be able to sing. I enjoy singing.”
Nelson also recalled the last conversation she had with her brother four days before his death. “He kept avoiding questions,” she told the Star Tribune. “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.”
She went on to say, “A couple of times I said, ‘How are you really?’ He didn’t go into anything with me. That was bothering me, and he knew it was but that was all he wanted to tell me.”
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In September, a bombshell report from The New York Times Magazine said that Prince’s ex-girlfriends accused him of abuse in an unreleased, nine-hour documentary. According to the report, Nelson appeared in the documentary and described alleged abuse in their household from their father.
In a statement shared with USA TODAY at the time, Prince Legacy LLC and music publisher and talent management company Primary Wave Music said, “We are working to resolve matters concerning the documentary so that his story may be told in a way that is factually correct and does not mischaracterize or sensationalize his life. We look forward to continuing to share Prince’s gifts and celebrate his profound and lasting impact on the world.”
Contributing: Taijuan Moorman