Laura Lynch, a founding member and former lead vocalist of the country music band originally known as The Dixie Chicks, and later The Chicks, has died at the age of 65. Lynch was involved in a fatal car accident near El Paso, Texas, on Friday evening, December 22, 2023.
The incident, reported to CBS News by Lynch’s cousin Michael Lynch, occurred when another vehicle collided head-on with Lynch’s car while attempting to overtake on a two-way highway. According to a report from the Texas Department of Safety, Lynch passed away at the scene, while the other driver sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Lynch was instrumental in forming The Dixie Chicks in 1989 with Robin Lynn Macy, Martie Erwin, and Emily Erwin. Starting as the band’s upright bassist, she later became the lead vocalist in 1992 following Macy’s departure. Lynch recorded three albums with the band before leaving in 1993, paving the way for Natalie Maines to join as the lead vocalist.
The band’s fourth album, “Wide Open Spaces,” released in 1998 with Maines, marked a significant commercial breakthrough. Lynch, in a 2003 interview with Texas’ Plainview Herald, maintained privacy regarding her departure from the band, honoring a mutual agreement with the group. Despite the subsequent fame of The Chicks, Lynch expressed a sense of peace with her life’s trajectory.
The Chicks’ current members, Emily Strayer, Martie Maguire, and Natalie Maines, paid homage to Lynch on Instagram. They shared memories of her performances and emphasized her role in the band’s early achievements. Strayer, Maguire, and Maines also conveyed their condolences to Lynch’s family.
Laura Lynch leaves behind her husband, Mac Tull, and their daughter, Asia.
