How Did Minnie Riperton Die? The Tragic Death Of Maya Rudolph's Mom

American singer and songwriter Minnie Riperton was one of the most influential singers of her time. With a five-octave vocal range, the singer blessed us with classic songs like "Lovin' You" and "Inside My Love," hitting notes that many vocalists today could only dream of hitting. Her kind and soft-spoken nature led many to love more than just her voice, leaving many saddened on July 12, 1979, when she sadly passed way at the age of 31.

Riperton was born in Chicago in November 1947 and spent her childhood studying the arts at the Abraham Lincoln Center. With a passion for soul and R&B music, the singer joined the Chicago-based girl group "The Gems" when she was 14, before joining the musical band "Rotary Connection" in the 1960s, through which she met her husband, music producer Richard Rudolph. Rudolph and Riperton wed in 1970, two years after having their son Marc. They welcomed their daughter, actor and comedian Maya Rudolph, in 1972.

By 1974, Riperton's career was on the rise as she released the "Perfect Angel" album, featuring perhaps her most well-known song, "Lovin' You." Sadly, just two years after the album's release, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and quickly had a mastectomy to address the illnes, though she was still given only a few months to live. However, she didn't let her health scares hold her back. In 1978, she became an educational chairman for the American Cancer Society, but by 1979, her health continued to decline, causing her to develop lymphedema, which disabled her right arm. She later died in the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles in her husband's arms.

Minnie Riperton undoubtedly influenced music and left an impression on the world. When the American singer died, her children, Marc and Maya Rudolph were about 11 and seven years old, respectively. Maya is now famously known for being an actor and comedian, but she first dipped her toe into the music industry in the 1990s as a member of the band "The Rentals." She eventually transitioned into an acting and sketch comedy career, but still dabbled in music, often singing in sketches on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" (SNL) and through the character Connie the Hormone Monstress in Netflix's sitcom "Big Mouth."

The comedian developed a love for laughter as a child and has been open about how difficult it was to grasp the reality of her mother's death. In 2019, she told uDiscover, "For many years of my life, it was too much." But even though she grappled to come to terms with her mother's death, she always knew how special the "Les Fleurs" singer was. "My mom was music. Music poured out of my mother," she shared on NPR's "Fresh Air" in 2012. "My mom was a special, cool lady." However, in 2024, the "Bridesmaids" actor told Vanity Fair that she was tired of answering questions about her late mother. "Who wants to be asked about their childhood trauma every time they talk about their career? I'm 52 years old, and I have survived my childhood trauma," she told the media outlet.

Throughout her career, Maya has infused her mother's legacy into her work, including through recreating her mother's album covers, which she did each time she hosted SNL. Through Maya and an incredible discography of music, Minnie Riperton's legacy continues to live on.