Laura Lynch, a co-founding member of Dixie Chicks, was killed in a head-on car crash in El Paso, Texas on Friday (December 22nd). She was 65 years old.
In a statement, The Chicks said, “We are shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Laura Lynch, a founding member of The Chicks. We hold a special place in our hearts for the time we spent playing music, laughing and traveling together. Laura was a bright light…her infectious energy and humor gave a spark to the early days of our band. Laura had a gift for design, a love of all things Texas and was instrumental in the early success of the band. Her undeniable talents helped propel us beyond busking on street corners to stages all across Texas and the mid-West.”
Lynch was a member of the original iteration of Dixie Chicks, which also featured Emily Strayer, Martie Maguire, and Robin Lynn Macy. The group primarily performed bluegrass music in their early years, with Lynch playing upright bass and sharing vocal duties with Macy. Following Macy’s departure from the group in 1993, Lynch briefly took over as the sole lead vocalist. After a six-year stint in the band, which included three independently released studio albums, Lynch was replaced by Natalie Maines. The new lineup embraced a more contemporary pop sound, leading to immense commercial success. In 2020, Dixie Chicks rebranded themselves as The Chicks due to word “Dixie” having connotations with American slavery.