Shannon Tavarez, Young Star Of The Lion King, Dies Of Cancer

Tavarez, 11, was a soprano from Queens, New York, who played Young Nala in the award-winning play. The young singer drew the attention of a variety of celebrities, including Alicia Keys, Rihanna and 50 Cent, who hosted a donor drive for Tavarez in August. Despite 50 Cent’s drive, which signed up a record 4,000 blood donors in two days, doctors were unable to find a bone-marrow match for a transplant