One-Third Triplet Country Trio Singer Nicole Taylor Dies at 35
Nicole Taylor, one of the identical triplets in country group Taylor Red, died at her Nashville home after living with breast cancer. Her sisters, Nika and…
Nicole Taylor, one-third of the one-third triplet country trio Taylor Red, died at her Nashville home after a battle with breast cancer. She was 35.
Her sisters and bandmates, Nika and Natalie Taylor, announced her death in an emotional video posted Monday, Nov. 2. Taylor died Sept. 28, according to a statement on the group’s website.
“We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our sister Nicole Taylor,” Nika said in the video. She added that the family had hoped Nicole would recover on earth, but believed she was now healed in heaven.
The announcement brings an end to the story of a singer whose musical life was closely linked to her identical triplet sisters. Together, the siblings formed Taylor Red and found audiences through country music, close harmonies and social media performances.
How did Nicole Taylor’s illness progress?
Taylor was diagnosed with an aggressive form of stage 3 breast cancer in 2022. She initially responded well to chemotherapy and was declared to have no evidence of disease, but the cancer later returned and progressed to stage 4.
Doctors gave her three months to live after the diagnosis, but she lived for another year. Her sisters said she continued working, traveling and exercising while receiving treatment.
“She tried not to live in fear, remained really hopeful,” Natalie said. “She traveled, she tried to live life, she worked really hard, she tried to have fun.”
That account offers a glimpse of how Taylor approached the illness: her sisters described her as continuing to pursue ordinary routines and experiences, rather than letting treatment define her days. Their tribute also made clear how much her role extended beyond the stage.
One-third triplet country trio built an online audience
Born and raised in southern Mississippi, Nicole formed the group with Nika and Natalie. The sisters began performing together in 2010 as Red Roots and released three albums before changing the group’s name to Taylor Red in 2018.
Their arrangements blended country styles and relied on tight harmonies. The sisters played guitar, banjo, fiddle and mandolin, while their synchronized performances, music covers and comedy clips helped them gain millions of followers on social media.
The online audience gave the trio another route to listeners. Their songs and videos could reach people beyond the usual channels for country and pop acts, and their following grew around both music and the sisters’ shared presence on camera.
The group’s song “Country Money,” released in 2021, became one of its best-known songs. Taylor Red had also drawn attention for the way female groups were using TikTok to build audiences outside traditional industry channels.
For fans, Nicole’s death means the loss of one voice in a group whose identity rested on three sisters performing together. Nika and Natalie described her as the oldest by minutes, their fearless leader and their best friend.
The family held a private funeral service. The sisters encouraged fans who wished to honor Nicole to donate in her memory to Samaritan’s Purse, one of her favorite charities.
“She was our leader and our best friend,” Nika and Natalie wrote in their tribute. “We are heartbroken, but we know she is in Heaven and will see her again.”
