One of the founding members of the Dixie Chicks,
Laura Lynch has died at the age of 65.
Lynch died following injuries sustained in a car accident on a highway
outside of El Paso, Texas, TMZ first reported and the Texas Department of
Public Safety later confirmed.
Lynch’s
former Chicks bandmates also confirmed Lynch’s
death in a statement on social media.
“We are shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Laura Lynch, a founding
member of The Chicks,” Emily Strayer, Martie Maguire, and Natalie Maines wrote
in their tribute to Lynch.
“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, along with Robin Lynn Macy and sisters Martie and Emily Erwin (now
Maguire and Strayer), co-founded the Dixie Chicks in the late-Eighties, with
Lynch serving as upright bassist and co-lead vocalist.
They released two albums together — 1990’s Thank Heavens for Dale Evans
and 1992’s Little Ol’ Cowgirl — before Macy departed the band, leaving them a
trio.