Tyka Nelson. Nils Jorgensen/startraksphoto.com
Prince and his little sister, Tyka Nelson, had a strong bond throughout their lives.
Nelson was the sole full sibling of Prince. Before their parents, John L. Nelson and Mattie Della Shaw Baker, wed, the couple had children from previous marriages. Prince and Tyka’s half-siblings include Sharon, Norrine and John Nelson (who died in 2021), Alfred Jackson (who died in 2019) and Omarr Baker.
While Prince and Tyka had a big blended brood, the brother-sister duo (who were two years apart in age) had a close connection as they bonded over their shared love of music. As Prince found success, Tyka confessed that she didn’t realize how big of a deal her older brother truly was.
“I didn’t know Prince was that big,” she recalled a trip to London to promote a Prince exhibition in 2017. “They lined up to tell me stories. Women would tell me, ‘I’m going to kill myself and then I put on this [Prince] song or heard it on the radio and I didn’t want to die.’ That’s so wonderful. So now you’re going to make me cry.”
Nothing compares to the musical gifts in Prince’s family. During his illustrious career in the industry, Prince found huge success with hits like “Purple Rain,” “When Doves Cry” and “Little Red Corvette.” His gift of music, which continues to be celebrated long after his death in 2016, seemingly stemmed from his parents. His mother, Mattie […]
In April 2016, Prince was found dead at age 57 in an elevator at his Paisley Park compound in Chanhassen, Minnesota. His cause of death was ruled an accidental overdose of the opioid fentanyl.
Eight years later, Tyka died at age 64 according to her son, President Nelson.
Keep scrolling to get to know Tyka:
She Was Also a Musician
Tyka followed in her parents’ and her brother’s footsteps by becoming a singer. When she and Prince were kids, they were inspired by Elvis Presley and would pretend they were famous.
“I wanted to be Shirley Temple. [Prince and I] practiced signing our autographs,” she recalled to the Star Tribune in June 2024. “I was still 5, he was 7. I didn’t know what I was doing. He knew he was going to be famous.”
She dropped her first album, Royal Blue, in 1988. Throughout her career, she released a total of four studio albums and performed on stage. Tyka was gearing up to retire from music in June 2024 with a final concert in Minneapolis. However, she fell ill and canceled the show.
She Considered Herself a Writer
While Tyka was gifted vocally, she found herself more drawn to the written word.
“I really wasn’t a singer. I’m a writer,” she told the Star Tribune in June 2024. “I just happen to be able to sing. I enjoy singing.”
In addition to writing music, Tyka teased that she was in the process of putting her own story down on paper.
“We’ve got a few more chapters,” she told the outlet of the potential memoir, which had not been picked up by a publisher at the time. “It’s about me and my family.”
She Had 6 Kids
Tyka was married to husband Maurice Phillips. The couple were the parents of daughters Danielle Phillips, Crystal Phillips, Chelsea Phillips and sons Rachard Phillips, Sir Montece Laeil and President.
Prince performs live at the Fabulous Forum on February 19, 1985.
She Was Named One of Prince’s Heirs
After Prince’s shocking death in 2016, Tyka and her half-siblings were named the legal heirs of Prince’s estate since he died without a will. Tyka ended up selling a majority of her shares of Prince’s estate but kept 2 percent for her and her family.
She Wanted to Preserve Prince’s Legacy
Tyka worked hard to keep Prince’s memory alive and constantly paid tribute to him. One way she wanted to honor her brother was by releasing some of the 2,000 unreleased tracks from Prince kept in his vault.
“He’s written a massive amount of music and in one of our conversations, he said, ‘How I want to be remembered is as one of the most prolific writers in the world,’” she said in an October 2016 interview with Entertainment Tonight. “So I’m going to do everything that I can to make that dream come true.”
