Years after Prince’s death, his only full sibling, a sister who shared both parents with him, has also passed away. Before her death, the late singer’s sister was set to perform and emcee at her farewell and retirement event but fell ill.
On November 4, 2024, Charles “Chazz” Smith announced on Facebook that his cousin, Tyka Evene Nelson, had passed away that morning. Tyka was Prince’s sister, and Charles is the late singer’s cousin.
Charles’ announcement included a black-and-white photo of Tyka as a child, standing next to a slightly older boy. The children are shown standing on a lawn with an old model car parked in the background.
On November 5, 2024, Tyka’s other cousin, Frank Collier, also took to Facebook to share a throwback photo of them together. Sharing his sadness, he posted, “so i just found out about my cousin Tyka Nelson …..im at a loss for words. [sic]”
Reports show that, like her brother, Prince’s sister was a singer in Minneapolis. Her son, President Nelson, confirmed her passing and shared that she was 64 at the time of her death, though he declined to offer further details.
The late artist’s sister was his only sibling who shared both a mother, Mattie Shaw Nelson, and a father, John L. Nelson. They also had five half-siblings. Between 1988 and 2022, Tyka released four albums, and her farewell concert was scheduled for June 7, 2024, at the Dakota.
Tyka Nelson poses for a portrait in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in October 1988 | Source: Getty Images
Sadly, she became sick, and the concert, where she was set to emcee and sing, proceeded without her. Before the June event, Tyka told a publication, “I’m getting older.” She added, “I really wasn’t a singer. I’m a writer. I just happen to be able to sing. I enjoy singing.”
The songstress explained that she was a writer and working on a memoir, with only a few chapters remaining, despite not having secured a publisher. Tyka shared what her memoir would cover, saying, “It’s about me and my family.”
Her last US performance was in 2008 in the Twin Cities at Bunkers. But, her final public performance took place a decade later in Australia. Mourning her passing, her sister Sharon Nelson stated, “She had her own mind. She’s in a better place.”
Sharon only got to know Tyka after their famous brother died in 2016 when she moved to the Twin Cities following 50 years of living on the East Coast. Speaking to a publication in June, Tyka admitted that “A very small part is grieving” when it comes to Prince.
Tyka Nelson at the “Empire” season three premiere, in Chicago, on September 20, 2016 | Source: Getty Images
She acknowledged that it took a long time to get to that point because Prince was her last living link to family members she was close to, like their parents. As she mourned, Tyka realized how much people had loved her brother.
This realization struck her in 2017 during a visit to London, where she was promoting a mini-museum organized by Paisley Park. She shared, “I didn’t know Prince was that big.” Many fans lined up to tell her stories, with some women admitting they had once contemplated suicide but found the strength to carry on after hearing Prince’s music on the radio.
Tyka found these confessions deeply moving, and they brought her to tears. The last time she saw her brother was on a Saturday night at Paisley Park, just two days after his private plane had made an emergency landing in Moline, Illinois, where he was hospitalized.
At one point, a tall woman tried to hug Prince, prompting Tyka to become protective; his bodyguards soon escorted the woman away. Prince’s sense of humor showed through when he lightened the moment by asking her, “What you gonna do?”
Tyka recalled, “I said, ‘Do you hear how you kick that piano? You do it just like Daddy.’ He said, ‘Yeah, I do.'” She noted that her brother walked like their father and shared his sense of humor, though he had their mother’s build with a longer middle.
Tyka hadn’t been aware of her brother’s health issues, but when she hugged him, she noticed his weight loss. She remembered asking him to be honest about how he was doing, but he chose not to go into details, though he knew she was concerned.
Reflecting on her own life, Tyka expressed gratitude for the wonderful people she had known, people whose wisdom she missed. She also wished to travel the world to connect with people who loved Prince as a way to honor him.
Omarr Baker, Tyka Nelson, and Alfred Jackson at a private viewing of “My Name Is Prince” on October 26, 2017, in London, England | Source: Getty Images
“As far as I’m concerned, he stayed because they loved his music. Now you made me cry twice. Don’t do it again,” she said in her interview. Tyka Nelson is survived by her sons, President and Sir; her sisters, Sharon and Norrine Nelson; her brother, Omarr Baker; and many cousins.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “help” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741, or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
