A founding member of the country band The Chicks, formerly known as The Dixie Chicks, has died at the age of 65.
“We are shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Laura Lynch, a founding member of The Chicks,” a Saturday post by the band on Instagram read. “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.”
Lynch was involved in a head-on car crash Friday while going eastbound on U.S. 62, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. A justice of the peace pronounced the musician dead at the scene.
“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,” The Chicks’ post said.
“Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones at this sad time,” the post continued.
The Chicks removed the “Dixie” portion of their name back in 2020. The word “Dixie” is frequently used as a nickname for the Southern U.S., “especially those that belonged to the Confederate States of America,” per the Encyclopaedia Britannica.
The group has been known to get political in the past. In the early 2000s, the band faced backlash when lead singer Natalie Maines spoke out against the Iraq War and President Bush.
“Just so you know, we’re on the good side with y’all. We do not want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed that the president of the United States is from Texas,” Maines said at a concert in London at the time.