Grammy-winning singer Mariah Carey is mourning the tragic loss of both her mother, Patricia Hickey, and her sister, Alison Carey, who passed away on the same day over the weekend.
In a statement released on August 26, 2024, the iconic singer expressed her deep grief: “My heart is broken that I’ve lost my mother this past weekend. Sadly, in a tragic turn of events, my sister lost her life on the same day.”
Carey, 55, shared that she felt fortunate to have spent the last week with her mother before her passing, adding, “I appreciate everyone’s love and support and respect for my privacy during this impossible time.” The singer did not disclose the causes of death for either woman.
Patricia Hickey, 87, was a former opera singer and vocal coach of Irish-American descent. Mariah Carey has previously spoken about her complicated relationship with her mother, particularly in her 2020 memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey. In the memoir, Carey detailed the emotional pain caused by their relationship, attributing some of it to professional jealousy. Despite the difficulties, Carey dedicated the memoir to her mother, writing, “To Pat, my mother, who, through it all, I do believe actually did the best she could. I will love you the best I can, always.”
Alison Carey, 63, had been receiving hospice care before her death, according to a friend quoted by the Times Union, a newspaper in New York State. Mariah Carey and Alison had a strained relationship, with Mariah stating in her memoir that it was “emotionally and physically safer for me to not have any contact” with her sister.
The Hero singer, who has two children, twins Monroe and Moroccan, 13, with ex-husband Nick Cannon, has long been open about the difficulties she faced with her family. In her memoir, Carey recounted a traumatic experience with Alison, describing how, at the age of 12, her sister “drugged me with Valium, offered me a pinky nail full of cocaine, inflicted me with third-degree burns, and tried to sell me out to a pimp.”
Mariah Carey’s father, Alfred Roy Carey, passed away in 2002 at the age of 72 due to cancer.
The singer is widely regarded as one of the most successful artists globally, holding the record for the most Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles by a solo artist, with 19 songs to her name
