Nicole Hurst departed this life August 4, 2021. Visitation Monday August 16, 2021, from 8-10am. Funeral Mass 10am. Services will be held at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, 1111 St. Joseph Pkwy, Houston, Tx. 77002. Interment Paradise North Cemetery.

On Saturday, August 21, 1982 in Houston, Texas the love story of Thurman (Joe) and Pamela (Pam) Hurst grew when they were blessed with an angel from God who they named Nicole Renee, affectionately known as Nikki.

Nicole kept her trust in God and faith at the forefront of who she was. She was baptized in the Catholic faith and attended St. Anne's Catholic School. She sang in the church choir and participated in youth organizations, such as Top Teens of America and the Knights of Peter Claver Junior Daughters.

Nicole loved her grandparents. Her Grandma Jeanie was known as her "road dog". Nikki went everywhere that she did. In fact, she was the only one entrusted with knowing the coveted recipe of Jeanie's famous pineapple cake. At her Grandma Mae's house, she always looked forward to enjoying her favorite treat, "Moon Cookies". Sundays were always special in the Hurst family. It was a time of food and family, and Nikki didn't miss a chance to fellowship with her family and her beloved grandfather, Thurman a.k.a. PaPa. The tradition continued into adulthood as every Sunday when Nicole was home she saw her PaPa.

Nikki shared her father's love for music. As a little girl, she began singing and playing instruments with him and took private vocal and piano lessons and dance and acting classes at Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS). She graduated from High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in 2000 and she entered Berklee College of Music in Boston. At Berklee, Nicole was a member of the elite "Overjoyed" gospel ensemble performing internationally and was featured in the annual Singers Showcase. She graduated a year early with a B.A. in Music Business in 2003, then moved to New York City to begin her career.

Nicole performed as a background vocalist for various artists, including Justin Timberlake, Kelly Clarkson, Janet Jackson, Robert Glasper, Bruno Mars, Alicia Keys, Charlie Puth, Alessia Cara, Monica, Ne-Yo, Joy Denalane, Usher and many others. She loved working on special projects with her Bassic Black Entertainment (BBE) Family. She performed at major events, such as the Grammy Awards, The Oscars, Super Bowl LII, The White House, BET Awards, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and appeared on Saturday Night Live, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Jimmy Fallon, etc. She loved traveling and music enabled her to visit many countries like Ireland, Russia, Germany, England, France, South Africa, Switzerland, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, Japan, Iceland and others. For this Houston girl, no stage was greater than singing the national anthem for the Houston Texans Football Game. She was an active member of the Recording Academy, as well as the Screen Actors Guild.

To know Nicole was to know that it was all about "the fellowship" and connecting with family and friends meant everything to her. She was an only child, but she never felt like it because she had her "sister-cousins". They were all so very close and could always count on Nikki to provide them with the loyalty and love they needed. She also dearly loved her godchildren, Raiya, Payton and Parker. To her family, Nikki had an infectious smile and was always a joy to have around. To her friends, Nikki was always there even if she was miles away on tour making her presence felt by lending a listening ear or surprising them in person for a catch up dinner - usually Mexican food, her favorite.

Not only was Nicole a star on stage but she was a star in her family. She will be missed by all, but most importantly by her parents, Joe and Pam; her grandfather, Thurman Hurst (PaPa); her aunts Brenda Hurst, Cheryl Johnson, Christina Deajon and Jeanise Deajon; her uncles Larry Hurst and Joseph Deajon; and her cousins LeMarc, Auria, Lauren, Joey, Alonzo, Andrew, and Deajon.

Nicole was a bright light to everyone she encountered--even strangers. You knew she loved you because she showed it unconditionally. May we honor her life and legacy by showing kindness, a positive attitude, and love to all in our daily actions, just as she did.