Raylene Rankin of the internationally acclaimed Nova Scotia musical group The Rankin Family died Sunday after losing her fight with cancer. She was 52.
Rankin and her four siblings - John Morris, Jimmy, Cookie and Heather - formed the group more than 20 years ago and are credited with taking Cape Breton Celtic music to the mainstream.
The band won a host of awards before disbanding in 1999 but reunited in 2007 as The Rankin Family following the death of John Morris in a car accident 2006.
Rankin is survived by her husband and her son.
