Dixie Chicks’ Founding Member Laura Lynch Dies In Car Crash

Laura Lynch, one of the founding members of the Dixie Chicks, died Friday (December 22) in a head-on car crash in Texas. She was 65.

Laura Lynch, who founded the Dixie Chicks alongside Robin Lynn Macy and sisters Martie McGuire and Emily Strayer, was killed when her car was hit head-on by an oncoming car. According to Sgt. Eliot Torres of the Texas Department of Public Safety, an oncoming car attemped to pass another on a highway near El Paso when it struck the vehicle Lynch was driving.

The driver of the other vehicle suffered non-life threatening injuries and was taken to the hospital for observation. The accident is currently under investigation.

The band, now known as The Chicks, posted a statement on social media remembering Lynch.

“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,” the trio captioned a video of Laura performing with the 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.”

 

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The Dixie Chicks band was founded in 1989 with Martie McGuire and Emily strayer playing fiddle and banjo, respectively, and Laura Lynch on updright bass and Robin Lynn Macy on guitar and singing lead vocals. The band played the Texas bluegrass festival circuit for six years, but failed to attract a major label. Macy left the group in 1992 and Lynch took over as lead vocalist.

After recording three albums from 1990 to 1993, the Chicks shifted from bluegrass to country music. Natalie Maines replaced Lynch in 1995 and a few years later released their debut studio album, Wide Open Spaces.