A founding member of The Chicks, formerly known as the Dixie Chicks, passed away just ahead of Christmas 2023.
Laura Lynch founded the group alongside Robin Lynn Macy and Martie and Emily Erwin in 1989, and they rocketed to fame over the coming decade. By the time the band reached widespread renown, Lynch had already departed, but without her, the Dixie Chicks would never have come to be. She served as the bassist and eventually the lead vocalist between the late ’80s and mid-’90s, before she was replaced by Natalie Maines.
News of Lynch’s untimely demise arrived on Dec. 23, 2023, one day after the musician passed away on Dec. 22. She was 65 years old.
How did Laura Lynch die?
Laura Lynch passed away in 2023 after suffering severe injuries in a roadway accident. Lynch’s vehicle was traveling eastbound on US 62, according to NPR, when it was struck “head-on” by a car, which was headed west and was trying to bypass the vehicle in front of it. Lynch’s injuries claimed her life and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The other driver was transported to a hospital in the wake of the El Paso crash, suffering non-life-threatening injuries.
In the wake of Lynch’s death, her fans and former bandmates expressed their dismay at her loss. Emily Strayer, Martie Maguire, and Natalie Maines posted to the official Chicks Instagram page, noting that the group holds “a special place in our hearts for the time we spent playing music, laughing and traveling together,” and shared their sympathies with Lynch’s family.