Taylor Red Singer Nicole Taylor Dies at 35
Taylor Red singer Nicole Taylor dies at 35 after a battle with breast cancer, her triplet sisters have confirmed. Nicole, one-third of the musical trio Taylor Red, died on September 28, and her sisters Nika and Natalie Taylor shared the news in a YouTube video, saying she was at peace and no longer suffering. A private funeral has already taken place.
Natalie revealed that Nicole was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022, after the sisters received the news while they were in a public place. Nika later explained that the cancer was Stage 3 and very aggressive. Despite undergoing chemotherapy, Nicole kept urging those around her to enjoy life. “She pushed us all to have fun and not live in fear and hopelessness and she even did CrossFit during the time she was getting chemo treatments,” Natalie said.
The sisters also paid tribute to Nicole in a statement on a page created in her memory. “Nicole, the oldest of us three sisters, will be greatly missed. She was our leader and our best friend,” they wrote. “We are heartbroken, but we know she is in Heaven and will see her again,” they added.
Nicole Taylor dies weeks before the announcement
The gap between the death and the announcement is part of the story. Nicole died on September 28, but the news reached the public only when her sisters chose to share it, in their own words and on their own channel. That choice gave the family time to grieve in private and to hold a private funeral before facing the public response. It also explains why tributes from fans arrived in a sudden wave, weeks after the loss itself.
For a group built on social media, the announcement format fits. Taylor Red grew up online, and the sisters spoke directly to their audience rather than through a statement from a label or a manager. The video let them control the tone: grief, but also gratitude, and a clear message that Nicole had faced her illness without giving up the habits that defined her.
A trio that grew up in public
The identical triplets began their musical journey playing instruments including guitar, banjo, fiddle and mandolin. Originally performing as Red Roots, they later built a large online following through comedy videos, musical challenges and social media content. The sister trio started as a musical entity in 2011, with their first independently released album, Red Roots, released on January 24, 2011, with Red Hen Records.
Their second studio album, The Middle of Nowhere, followed on March 20, 2012, and their third, Triplicity, arrived on January 7, 2014, alongside Daywind Music. The group signed to Inpop Records in 2015. Taylor Red released the track Country Money in March 2021, produced by Ilya Toshinsky and written by J.T. Harding, Matt Jenkins and Andrew DeRoberts. The track was added to Spotify editorial playlists and went viral on TikTok.
The trio were featured in the national Sonic Drive-In campaign commercials for 2020 and 2021. They performed over 1,000 live shows across America and internationally, in countries such as Norway and Canada, opening for acts including Amy Grant, Charlie Daniels, Diamond Rio, Don Williams, High Valley, Josh Turner and Michael W. Smith. Taylor Red reportedly gathered more than 13 million TikTok followers and 16 million YouTube subscribers, alongside brand partnerships with major companies.
Those numbers explain why the announcement travelled so fast. A group with 16 million YouTube subscribers does not need a press release to be heard, and the sisters’ video reached an audience that had watched the three of them grow up together. The loss of one third of that trio changes the group in a way no replacement can fix, because the act was the sisters themselves: three identical voices, three instruments, and a shared history that started in childhood.
What happens next
Nika and Natalie have not said what comes next for Taylor Red, and no announcement about future music has been made. For now, the sisters’ statement and video stand as the record: a tribute to the oldest of the three, a leader and a best friend, and a request, in effect, for space to grieve. Fans have filled the page created in her memory with messages, and the group’s channels remain the place where any next step will appear first.
The news comes in a busy cultural week that also saw PTV launch a drama and film academy, World Culture Festival day four in Karachi, and the festival’s opening.
Frequently asked questions
How did Nicole Taylor die?
Nicole Taylor died aged 35 on September 28 after a battle with breast cancer, which was diagnosed in 2022 and described by her sister Nika as Stage 3 and very aggressive.
Who announced her death?
Her triplet sisters, Nika and Natalie Taylor, confirmed the news in a YouTube video, saying Nicole was at peace and no longer suffering.
What is Taylor Red?
Taylor Red is a musical trio of identical triplet sisters, Nicole, Nika and Natalie Taylor, who began as Red Roots in 2011 and built a large following through music, comedy videos and social media.
What were Taylor Red’s best known releases?
Their albums include Red Roots (2011), The Middle of Nowhere (2012) and Triplicity (2014), and their track Country Money, released in March 2021, went viral on TikTok.
Has a funeral taken place?
Yes, Nika and Natalie confirmed that a private funeral had already taken place before the public announcement.
