Canada

Photo: The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

The Rankins, (from left to right) Heather, Cookie, Jimmy and Raylene are shown in a handout photo. Raylene Rankin of the internationally acclaimed Nova Scotia musical group The Rankin Family has died after losing her fight with cancer. THE CANADIAN PRESS/-HO-Andrew MacNaughtan

Raylene Rankin of the internationally acclaimed Nova Scotia musical group The Rankin Family has died after losing her fight with cancer.

Marlene Palmer, The Rankin Family's tour publicist, says Rankin's sister Heather confirmed that Raylene passed away Sunday.

She was 52.

Rankin along with her four siblings, John Morris, Jimmy, Cookie and Heather, formed the group more than 20 years ago.

They are credited with taking Cape Breton Celtic music to the mainstream.

In 2000, John Morris Rankin died when his truck plunged into the icy Gulf of St. Lawrence near Margaree Harbour, N.S. He was 40.