Laura Lynch, Founding Member of The Dixie Chicks, Dead at 65

Laura Lynch, one of the founding members of the Dixie Chicks (now The Chicks), has died. She was 65.

According to multiple reports, Lynch died Friday night after the truck she was traveling in was involved in a head-on collision in West Texas. Lynch's cousin, Michael, confirmed the news to CBS News. The Chicks' Instagram account also shared the news Saturday in a post that included throwback video of the group performing in its early days.

"We are shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Laura Lynch, a founding member of The Chicks. We hold a special place in our hearts for the time we spent playing music, laughing and traveling together," the group's verified IG account shared in the lengthy caption. "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. Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones at this sad time."

Emily Strayer, Martie Maguire and Natalie Maines signed the touching tribute.

According to Texas news station KTSM, the fatal accident occurred at around 5:45 p.m. on U.S. Highway 62 in Hudspeth County, just east of El Paso. The Texas Department of Public Safety said a truck was traveling westbound when the driver tried to pass another vehicle. That truck then collided head-on with a pickup truck being driven by Lynch, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The other truck caught fire and the man in that vehicle was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The crash remains under investigation.

Lynch founded the Dixie Chicks with her sisters Emily and Martie in 1989. The group also included Robin Lynn Macy, the guitarist and a former middle school math teacher. The band released its first independent studio album, Thank Heavens for Dale Evans, in 1990. Some three years after the band came together, the foursome became a trio, after Macy retired. That same year, in 1992, the band released its independent second album, Little Ol' Cowgirl. The final independent studio album, Shouldn't a Told You That, came the following year.

Lynch left the group in 1995, allowing Maines to join the group. Three years later, the group released its first major-label album dubbed Wide Open Spaces, which became a monumental success and included the hit "I Can Love You Better."

In 2020, the group would change their name to simply The Chicks, dropping "Dixie" in response to the Black Lives Matter movement, as "Dixie" was a nickname for the Confederate States of America amid the Civil War.

Lynch is survived by her husband and daughter.

RELATED CONTENT: