Shannon Tavarez; 11-Year-Old Star Of Lion King Dies

Shannon Tavarez, the young Broadway singer who starred in The Lion King, has died after a fight against 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.

In late August, Tavarez underwent an operation for an umbilical-cord transplant as an alternative.

"A lot of kids don't have donors in their families, so they have to look to strangers to be the donor for them," 50 Cent said during the drive.

Tavarez debuted on Broadway as Young Nala in The Lion King in September of 2009 until she was diagnosed with cancer in April of 2010.