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Katreese Barnes tickles the ivories in her E. 90th St. apart

Source: New York Daily News Archive / Getty

Katreese Barnes, a singer, producer, and composer known for songs such as “Sugar Free” in the group Juicy as well as her work on Saturday Night Live died on August 3, after weeks of speculation from fans. Her brother, Jerry confirmed the news saying that Barnes had been battling breast cancer for over 20 years.

In front of the cameras, Barnes was part of band Juicy with her brother Jerry. Known for the hit single “Sugar Free”, the group released three albums in the 1980s before helping co-produce Roberta Flack‘s Grammy-nominated Roberta album. Behind the scenes, she became the pianist for Saturday Night Live, a position she served for about a decade and won two Emmy awards in the process.