(ReliableNews.org) – The Dixie Chicks (now known as The Chicks) were once one of the most popular country music groups in the country. Then, they criticized President George W. Bush during a time of war and sank their careers. Now, they received news that an original member of the group has died.
On December 23, The current members of The Chicks — Martie (Erwin) Maguire, Natalie Maines, and Emily (Erwin) Strayer — announced the passing of one of the group’s original members, Laura Lynch. She was the former upright bassist and lead vocalist for the band. In a statement on X, the band said that Lynch “was a bright light” and “her infectious energy and humor gave a spark” to the band early on. The group credited her with their early success and said their thoughts are with her family as they grieve her death.
https://x.com/thechicks/status/1738672372528664936
Lynch died on December 22 in a head-on collision west of Cornudas, Texas. She was driving a Ford F-150 eastbound on Highway 62 when a driver in a Dodge Ram traveling westbound tried to pass another vehicle but hit her instead. The other driver was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The former singer was 65 years old.
Lynch co-founded The Chicks in 1989 alongside Maguire, Strayer, and Robin Lynn Macy. The girls used to perform on street corners before they moved on to “fried-egg jobs.” The Washington Post reported that Lynch once said the band would play at BBQ restaurants on Sunday mornings and would either receive money or food for their performance.
The singer recorded three albums with the band. She left the group in 1993, and two years later, Maines replaced her. Lynch quit music and focused on raising her daughter, Asia, after leaving the band. The band went mainstream in 1998 and won Best Country Album at the Grammys, but Lynch was never upset about missing out on that success. In 2003, she said she had fond memories of the harder, early days with the band, saying, “It was worth it.”
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