The key facts

  • Nicole Taylor died on September 28 at the age of 35 — her sisters announced the death in a YouTube video
  • Stage three breast cancer was diagnosed in 2022; the disease later progressed to stage four
  • The band, formed in 2010 as Red Roots, has performed more than 1,000 live concerts and has over 16 million YouTube subscribers

Sisters announce the death of the lead singer

Nicole Taylor, lead singer of the American country band Taylor Red, died on September 28 at the age of 35. Her sisters Natalie and Nika announced her death in a YouTube video published in early November, saying that they were “shocked and devastated”. According to them, Nicole was their “fearless leader.” Natalie noted: “We thought she would be here to share her story of earthly healing. Instead, we are sharing her story of heavenly healing” (euronews).

The illness and the band’s career

As Nika recounted, Nicole was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022 at stage three, which she described as a “hotbed of aggressive” progression; the disease later advanced to stage four. The triplet sisters from Mississippi formed the band in 2010 under the name Red Roots, changing it to Taylor Red in 2018. Nicole was the lead vocalist and also played guitar, banjo, and fiddle. The band released three albums — Red Roots (2011), The Middle of Nowhere (2012), and Triplicity (2014) — and, despite not releasing any full-length records after 2014, performed more than 1,000 live concerts in the United States and abroad. In 2021, the song Country Money went viral on TikTok, and the band’s YouTube channel gained more than 16 million subscribers.