Raylene Rankin from Mabou Cape Breton  has died after a long fight with cancer at the age of 52.

She battled 3 bouts of cancer and was in remission last year when she began work on her first solo album for 7 years. That CD All The Diamonds was released in 2012 and  took its title from the Spring flowers which Rankin said were  like ‘little diamonds’ , spots of spring hope after a long winter battle against the disease.

The Rankin Family was together for ten years and sold more than 2 million records, won six Juno awards, three Canadian Country Music Awards and 15 East Coast Music Awards.