Entertainment news reveals that Laura Lynch, one of the founders of the controversial country music group The Dixie Chicks, has died in a car crash outside of El Paso, Texas. According to TMZ the singer was 65.
AMP in the post
Her cousin Mick Lynch revealed that she died on Friday, driving from El Paso to Dell City, almost 100 miles east. Later the Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed Lynch’s death.
Dixie Chick Founder Laura Lynch Dies In Head-On Collision In Texas
According to the Daily Mail, Lynch first played upright bass for the group consisting of four women. She went on to be the group’s lead vocalist.
She was replaced by Natalie Maines who stirred controversy by saying at an overseas concert that the band was ashamed of President George W. Bush.
Their reputation took a major hit and many country music stations across the USA stopped playing their music.
AMP in the post
In 2020 the group, now a trio, changed its name to The Chicks “in the wake of racial justice protests spurred on by the murder of George Floyd.”
Dixie Chick Alum Laura Lynch Dies In Texas
A law enforcement investigation found that Lynch was going east on Highway 62 when a car headed west apparently tried to pass a vehicle and hit Lynch’s car head-on, killing her.
The other driver survived with non-life threatening injuries and was taken to a local hospital.
AMP in the post
After the news broke, The Chicks posted a statement to Instagram: “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.”
They added that Lynch “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. Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones at this sad time.”
The Chicks Lose Founding Member
In 1989 Lynch co-founded The Dixie Chicks which featured vocalist and guitarist Robin Lynn Macy, Martie Maguire on fiddle, mandolin, guitar and vocals, and her sister Emily Strayer on guitar, banjo, dobro and vocals.
The group recorded several albums and later brought Natalie Maines on board to “help lead the band into a more modern country style and away from its earlier bluegrass-based style.
Details of Lynch’s departure are hazy, and it’s unclear if she chose to leave the band or if the addition of Maines and the group’s evolving sound forced her hand.”
The Chicks Loss
What followed was great success with 1998’s Wide Open Spaces, earning Diamond status in the US for selling 13 million units and 1999’s Fly became their first number-one album on the Billboard 200 chart.
But in 2003 Maines criticized the invasion of Iraq and then-President George W. Bush leading to widespread anger in the US.
Consequently “thousands of country music stations banned the trio for several years.” They never returned to their former level of popularity and in 2020 changed their name to The Chicks.
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