Laura Lynch, founding member of Dixie Chicks, dies at 65 after car crash

EL PASO, Texas — The Dixie Chicks’ founding member, Laura Lynch, died in a car crash Friday night in Hudspeth County, Texas.

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A woman was killed and another person was injured in a head-on crash Friday night along U.S. 62 in Hudspeth County, according to KTSM. The Texas Department of Public Safety identified the woman as Laura Lynch.

Lynch’s cousin, Michael Lynch, confirmed that she died in the crash to CBS News.

Lynch’s former bandmates released a statement on social media that was obtained by Rolling Stone.

“We are shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Laura Lynch, a founding member of The Chicks,” the statement read, according to Rolling Stone. “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 founded the Dixie Chicks with three other women in 1989. The other women included sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer, the band’s biography on Country Music Television said, according to CBS News. The band released three albums together. Lynch left and was later replaced by Natalie Maines.

Lynch was tired of touring, which led to her leaving the group in 1993, Deadline reported.

Maines, Strayer and Maguire currently make up the current band, CBS News reported. They gained international success after they released their album, “Wide Open Spaces” in 1998, Deadline reported.

The band was renamed the Chicks in June 2020. According to CBS News, “Dixie” was often associated with slavery so during the racial injustice that came to light following the killing of George Floyd, the band changed its name.

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