Laura Lynch, one of the original members of the singing group that would become famous as the Dixie Chicks, died in an automobile accident in West Texas. She was 65 years old.
The Texas Department of Public Safety said that Lynch was in a head-on crash near El Paso on Friday.
The trio, now known as the Chicks, announced on Instagram about Lynch's passing.
Musical
They've taken "Dixie" out of their name and are about to put out their first album in 14 years. It may be the finest record of the Chicks' troubled history.
The band announced in a statement, "We are shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Laura Lynch, a founding member of The Chicks." "We have a special place in our hearts for the times we spent together playing music, laughing, and traveling." Laura was a bright light. Her enthusiasm and sense of humor were contagious, and they provided our band a boost at the beginning. Laura was a great designer, loved everything Texas, and helped the band get off to a great start. Her amazing skills enabled us go from playing on street corners to stages all around Texas and the Midwest.
Lynch played the upright bass and sang lead in the first version of the group, which was created in 1989 with Robin Lynn Macy, Martie Erwin, and Emily Erwin.
When Lynch left and Natalie Maines took over, the group's original bluegrass sound changed to the pop country style that would make them famous across the world.
Lynch worked with the Dixie Chicks on three albums: "Thank Heavens for Dale Evans" in 1990, "Little Ol' Cowgirl" in 1992, and "Shouldn't a Told You That" in 1993. They became famous with the release of "Wide Open Spaces" in 1998, when Maines joined the band. They won two Grammy Awards for the song. The band has won 13 Grammys.
In 2003, the trio caused a stir when Maines made statements criticizing President George W. Bush during a concert, which led to country radio boycotting them.
In 2020, the band changed their name from the Dixie Chicks to the Chicks.