Singer Prince's Sister Tyka Nelson, 64, Dead 8 Years After Her Famous Brother

Death has claimed another singer, with Tyka Nelson taking her final breath on Monday morning.

The sister of one of the greatest musicians, Prince, died at 64 on November 4. Her death comes eight years after her famous sibling passed away at 57 in April 2016.

Tyka Nelson was Prince's only full biological sibling, as they shared seven half-brothers and half-sisters. The late singer welcomed six children, and her death was confirmed by one of her sons.

Tyka's son, President Nelson, announced she died on Monday morning but refused to share further details about her demise. Her death comes five months after she sparked concerns about her wellbeing after falling ill.

Tyka was scheduledto have her retirement and farewell concert in June at the Dakota. Unfortunately, she was forced to cancel her plan to emcee the event and sing a few songs because of her health.

"I'm getting older. I really wasn't a singer. I'm a writer. I just happen to be able to sing. I enjoy singing," Tyka confessed ahead of the show. She also shared her plans to release a memoir, but it was unclear how far the writing had gone.

Tyka released four albums between 1988 and 2011. She last performed in the Twin Cities in 2008 at Bunkers, while her final public performance was in Australia in 2018. Her half-sister Sharon Nelson, per the Star Tribune, reflected on her passing, saying, "She had her own mind. She's in a better place."

Sharon confessed that she did not have a relationship with Tyka until Prince died in 2016. She lived on the East Coast for 50 years and did not get to know her late half-sister until she moved back to the Twin Cities.

Sharon wasn't the only sibling Tyka wasn't close to. The late singer had a complicated relationship with her famous brother from childhood to early in his career. In a 2003 interview, she reflected on growing up in Minnesota with Prince, confessing:

"I was the overweight kid who didn't have a boyfriend. I listened to other people say, 'You're ugly, you're fat, you're stupid,' and I believed it. My brother, he just thought I was crazy."

"I love my brother. But I'm not a yo-yo. He can't just keep spinning me in and out of his life," Tyka added. As stated, she was Prince's only full biological sibling because their parents had children from other relationships, per PEOPLE.

The late siblings' father, John L. Nelson, had three daughters and two sons from a previous relationship before marrying their mother, Mattie Shaw. The couple divorced in 1966 when Prince was eight and Tyka was 6.

When their mother remarried, Prince and Tyka's half-siblings increased with her two sons, Omarr Baker and Alfred Jackson. Their half-sister, Lorna L. Nelson, died in 2006 at 63, and their half-brother, Duane Nelson, died in 2011 at 52.

Tyka welcomed six children — daughters Danielle Phillips, Crystal Phillips, and Chelsea Phillips, and sons Rachard Phillips, Sir Montece Laeil, and President LenNard Laeil Nelson. Her family was spotted on the grounds of Paisley Park in 2016, honoring Prince after his passing.

In a September 2003 interview, Tyka opened up about her dark past and how she was forced to sell her body to support her children. Her struggles increased with an addiction to crack cocaine, with the late singer confessing:

"I was a single mother, and my boys were babies. I sold my body for food, money, and pampers. I pawned the car Prince had given me and sold the kids' TV for drugs."

Despite her complicated relationship with Prince, he rescued her at her lowest. In the early 2000s, the "Purple Rain" hitmaker registered Tyka into a rehabilitation program and helped her return to music in 2008 after she achieved sobriety.

It took six years after Prince's death for his family to resolve their differences over his estate. In 2022, The Blast reported that the years-long dispute was finally over, thanks to an agreement between the late singer's siblings.

Prince's three oldest siblings and their families, per the settlement, would split his wealth with the New York music company Primary Wave. Tyka had sold most of her stake in the estate to Primary Wave, as did Alfred Jackson and Omarr Baker.

The icon's estate reportedly had a market value of $156.4 million. However, only $6 million of it was cash that was distributed between his siblings. Unfortunately, Prince's half-brothers, John R. Nelson and Jackson died before the case was completed.

Rest in peace, Tyka Nelson!