Tyka Evene Nelson (May 18, 1960 – November 4, 2024) was an American singer. She was the daughter of jazz musician John L. Nelson (1916–2001) and jazz singer Mattie Della Shaw (1933–2002), and the sister of

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

(1958–2016). In addition, she had seven half-siblings. She was Prince's only full sibling.

Career

She released four albums between 1988 and 2011, and reached No. 33 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

''s

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

chart in July 1988 with "Marc Anthony's Tune", produced by

Larry Graham Larry Graham Jr. (born August 14, 1946) is an American bass guitar, bassist and baritone singer, with the psychedelic soul/funk band Sly and the Family Stone and as the founder and frontman of Graham Central Station. In 1980, he released the si ...

Later life

She accepted Prince's

American Music Award The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show produced by Dick Clark Productions since 1974. Nominees are selected on commercial performance such as sales and airplay. Winners are determined by a poll of the public and ...

for Top Soundtrack following his death in 2016. Her last public performance was in Australia in 2018, though she tried to make another performance in June 2024. In July 2021, she agreed to sell 90% of the shares she had in Prince's estate, with her half-brother Omar Bakker and late half brother Alfred Jackson's interest selling 100% of their shares. In June 2024, she retired from music after falling ill and failing to make a planned concert performance. At the time of her retirement, she stated that she was working on a memoir.

Personal life and death

Nelson was born in

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

on May 18, 1960. She was married to Maurice Phillips, and had six children. At the time of her death in November 2024, it was revealed that aside from three half siblings, she was survived by her two sons Sir and President and five of her grandchildren. Nelson and President co-designed Prince's urn. Her half sister Lorna Nelson died in 2006. Another half brother Alfred Jackson died in August 2019. Her eldest half brother John R. Nelson died on September 3, 2021. Nelson died at North Memorial Hospital in

Robbinsdale, Minnesota Robbinsdale is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. Its population was 14,646 at the 2020 census. The city is in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area and is adjacent to the northwest portion of Minneapolis. Geography ...

, on November 4, 2024, at the age of 64. She had reportedly been ill since June 2024.

Discography

Albums * ''Royal Blue'' (Cooltempo, 1988) * ''Yellow Moon, Red Sky'' (CMC International Records, 1992) * ''A Brand New Me'' (2008) – Grammy Award Consideration * ''Hustler'' (2011)

References

External links

* *
Tyka Nelson Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Tyka 1960 births 2024 deaths 20th-century African-American women singers 20th-century American singers 20th-century American women singers 21st-century African-American women singers 21st-century American singers 21st-century American women singers American soul singers Chrysalis Records artists Louisiana Creole people Prince (musician) Singers from Minnesota