Country music singer Nicole Taylor, one-third of the popular sister trio Taylor Red, has died at just 35 following a yearslong battle with breast cancer, leaving her identical triplet sisters devastated.
Nicole died September 28 at her home in Nashville, Tennessee, but her sisters and bandmates, Nika and Natalie Taylor, waited until Monday, November 2, to publicly announce the heartbreaking news in an emotional social media video.
“We’re heartbroken to announce the passing of our sister Nicole Taylor,” Nika said, explaining that the family had remained hopeful she would recover.
“We honestly thought she’d be healed here on earth, but now she’s healed in heaven.”
The sisters revealed that Nicole was first diagnosed with an aggressive form of stage 3 breast cancer in 2022. Despite the frightening diagnosis, the singer refused to let the disease define her life, continuing to work, travel and even participate in CrossFit workouts while undergoing chemotherapy.
According to Natalie, Nicole remained deeply committed to her Christian faith throughout her illness, believing that God could use her experience for a greater purpose.
Her initial treatments appeared promising, and doctors eventually found no evidence of the disease. However, that relief was short-lived. The cancer later returned at stage 4, bringing a devastating prognosis.
At one point, doctors reportedly warned Nicole that she might have only three months to live. She ultimately survived for approximately another year, making the most of her remaining time with family and friends.
Rather than withdrawing from the spotlight, Nicole continued pursuing the music career she had built alongside her sisters, embracing opportunities to travel, work and enjoy life despite her worsening health.
In a separate YouTube tribute, Nika and Natalie struggled to hold back tears as they reflected on their sister’s final years and the difficulty of announcing her death.
“We’re still processing everything,” Natalie admitted, describing the loss as incredibly difficult to discuss.
The sisters also shared an older recording of Nicole speaking about her faith, which they said remained a source of comfort throughout her illness.
Nicole was the eldest of the three identical triplets, who grew up in Mississippi and began performing together in 2010 under the name Red Roots. The siblings later rebranded as Taylor Red in 2018, blending country music with their distinctive harmonies and energetic personalities.
The group released several albums and performed more than 1,000 concerts, but their popularity exploded after they began sharing music and entertaining videos on social media.
Their songs “Country Money” and “Rent Free” helped introduce the trio to a wider audience, while their viral TikTok videos attracted millions of followers.
In a 2021 interview with PEOPLE, Nicole credited TikTok with opening doors for independent musicians, explaining that the platform gave artists opportunities they might never have received through traditional music industry channels.
Despite their growing fame, the sisters remained exceptionally close, sharing not only a career but a lifelong bond that made Nicole’s death especially painful.
On the group’s official website, Nika and Natalie remembered their sister as their leader and best friend, saying she would be deeply missed.
The family has already held a private funeral service and established a memorial donation opportunity supporting Samaritan’s Purse, one of Nicole’s favorite charities.
For the surviving members of Taylor Red, the future of the group remains uncertain. What began as three sisters chasing their musical dreams together has now become a heartbreaking story of loss, faith and an extraordinary family bond.