Music community in Cape Breton pays tribute to singer Raylene Rankin
Posted October 1, 2012 1:45 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
HALIFAX – Members of Canada’s music community are mourning the death of acclaimed Nova Scotia singer Raylene Rankin and paying tribute to her career.
Rankin died Sunday at the age of 52 from cancer.
Fellow Cape Breton singer Rita MacNeil says she was devastated when she heard the news.
Fiddler Ashley MacIsaac calls her the “heart and soul” of the Rankin family’s music.
Rankin formed the internationally acclaimed group The Rankin Family more than 20-years ago with her four siblings — John Morris, Jimmy, Cookie and Heather — and helped launch Cape Breton Celtic music to the mainstream.
The family band first formed under the name The Rankins and won a host of awards over a 10-year period.
(The Canadian Press)
