The TRAGIC Loss of Nell Smith a 17 Year Old Musical Genius

Nell Smith, whose blossoming music résumé included collaborating with The Flaming Lips when she was just 14, has died. She was 17.

Bella Union’s Simon Raymonde, the owner of the record label planning to release Nell's debut solo album, announced her death on Monday, Oct. 7.

"We are all shocked and devastated to hear of the sudden and tragic passing of our artist and dear friend Nell Smith, over the weekend in British Columbia," Raymonde wrote on Instagram. "Nell was just 17 and was preparing for the release of her first solo record in early 2025 on Bella Union, made in Brighton with Penelope Isles’ Jack and Lily Wolter.”

Nell's family also confirmed her death on Oct. 7, saying she “was cruelly taken from us” on Saturday, Oct. 5.