Nicole Taylor, one-third of the country music trio Taylor Red, has died at the age of 35. Her sisters and bandmates, Nika and Natalie Taylor, announced the news in an emotional video on November 2, 2026, revealing that Nicole passed away on September 28 at her home in Nashville, Tennessee, after a years-long battle with breast cancer.
Nicole was more than a singer. She was a guitarist, a banjo player, a violinist, and—in the words of her sisters—the “fearless leader” of an identical triplet trio that built a massive following on TikTok and YouTube with their genre-blending country sound and tight harmonies. Her death marks the end of a remarkable musical partnership and the loss of a voice that touched millions.
From Mississippi to Nashville: The Rise of Taylor Red
Nicole Helen Taylor was born on March 18, 1991, in Wade, Mississippi, the eldest of identical triplets by just minutes. Music was woven into their lives from childhood. The sisters learned to play guitar, banjo, fiddle, and mandolin together, and by 2010, they were performing as Red Roots.
As Red Roots, they released three albums: their self-titled debut in 2011, The Middle of Nowhere in 2012, and Triplicity in 2014, which earned a Dove Award nomination for Country Album of the Year. The sisters wrote hundreds of songs together and performed more than 1,000 concerts across North America and Norway, opening for artists like Amy Grant, Charlie Daniels, and Diamond Rio.
In 2018, they rebranded as Taylor Red, and their career entered a new chapter. The turning point came in 2021 with the release of “Country Money,” a catchy, genre-blending track that went viral on TikTok and became their best-known song. The viral moment helped the trio amass more than seven million followers across social media platforms, where their synchronized performances, musical covers, and comedy bits introduced them to a new generation of fans.
Nicole co-sang lead vocals and played guitar, violin, and banjo on the group’s albums. But her role in the trio extended beyond performance. Her sisters remembered her as the one who “would always speak up” on their behalf, the first to “give her life to Christ,” and the member whose favorite color was cheetah print and whose first instrument was the drums.
The Battle: “God’s Going to Use This for His Glory”
Nicole’s cancer journey began in February 2022, when she found a lump in her breast that she later described as feeling like “a little AAA battery”. She was initially told to monitor it and return in six months. By the time she returned, the lump had doubled or tripled in size. A biopsy confirmed the diagnosis: stage 3, aggressive breast cancer.
She had no family history of the disease. The news came as a shock to her family, but Nicole’s response was immediate and rooted in her Christian faith. “God’s going to use this for his glory,” she said. Three days after her diagnosis, family and friends began praying for her every day at 3:18 p.m. —a nod to March 18, the triplets’ shared birthday.
Nicole documented her journey with remarkable openness. She kept up CrossFit during chemotherapy, traveled, worked, and refused to let fear dictate her life. After finishing chemo, she was told there was no evidence of disease—a moment of hope that her sisters described as the answer to their prayers.
But the cancer returned. It progressed to stage 4, and doctors gave her three months to live. She lived for another year. Through further surgery and treatment, she continued to work and travel, and she remained determined not to “live in dread”.
“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”.
The Tributes: “Our Leader and Our Best Friend”
The announcement of Nicole’s death was delivered in a video that her sisters described as “the video we thought we’d never be making”.
“We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our sister Nicole Taylor,” Nika said. “We honestly thought she’d be healed here on earth, but now she’s healed in heaven”.
In a statement on the group’s website, Nika and Natalie wrote: “Nicole, the oldest of us three sisters, will be greatly missed. She was our leader and our best friend. We are heartbroken, but we know she is in Heaven and will see her again”.
Natalie described the difficulty of processing the loss: “We’re still processing everything. This honestly feels really hard to talk about, but we’re going to do our best in sharing some of her story”. The tribute video included a recording of Nicole sharing her Christian testimony, a final gift from a woman who had spent her illness offering hope to others.
The family held a private funeral service. In lieu of flowers, fans are encouraged to make donations in Nicole’s memory to Samaritan’s Purse, one of her favorite charities.
Remembering Nicole
Nicole Taylor was 35 years old. She was a triplet, a sister, a daughter, a musician, and a woman of deep faith. She played the banjo and the guitar, she sang lead, and she helped build a career that took her from a small town in Mississippi to stages across North America and to the screens of millions of followers.
But the numbers—seven million followers, 1,000 concerts, three albums—do not capture what her sisters lost. They lost the oldest of the three, the one who was born a minute before Natalie and two minutes before Nika. They lost the one who spoke for them, who led them, who reassured them when they were frightened. They lost their best friend.
“We thought she would be here sharing her story of earthly healing,” Natalie said. “Instead, we’re here sharing her story of heavenly healing”.
Taylor Red’s music remains available on streaming platforms. “Country Money” still plays. The harmonies are still there. But one of the voices is gone—and the trio that built its following on sisterhood and song will never sound the same again.
Nicole Taylor is survived by her sisters and bandmates, Nika and Natalie Taylor. Donations in her memory can be made to Samaritan’s Purse.
