Raylene Rankin of the Rankin Family has passed away

[Mozart]

Not sure if anyone here is familiar with this Cape Breton musical group but another one of their members died yesterday morning in Halifax. Raylene was going through treatment for her third bout of cancer. She was 52. She was known for her angellic voice and is most famous for her rendition of "We Rise Again". She's the third Rankin sibling to pass away with her brother John Morris dying in 2000 at the age of 40 in a car accident and her sister Germaine dying in 2007 from a brain aneurysm.

This is such a huge loss to the Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and Canadian music industries.

Here is a very touching documentary she did in June:
http://www.cbc.ca/thesundayedition/d...-the-diamonds/

We Rise Again:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZypkL0nsbc

[Artemis@BC]

That's sad news indeed. I enjoyed The Rankins in their heyday, and Raylene did have a beautiful and original voice.

I'm surprised to hear she was 52, though. I pictured her being younger than that.

[Mozart]

She had just turned 52 on Sept. 15th I believe

[Buzz]

Just been listening to her and she did indeed have an angelic voice. Terrible loss for her family and for Canadian music.

[rjblue]

She had my favourite voice of the women in the group. That poor family has had more than their share of loss.