Laura Lynch

Laura Lynch, one of the founding members of Country group, The Chicks, died on December 22, 2023 after a devastating car crash in West Texas. She was 65. 

Lynch co-founded the band, then named the Dixie Chicks, in 1989 alongside Robin Lynn Macy, Martie Maguire, and Emily Strayer. Serving as the group's upright bassist and lead singer, Lynch recorded three albums – Thank Heavens for Dale Evans, Little Ol' Cowgirl, and Shouldn't a Told You That – before she departed and was replaced by current lead vocalist Natalie Maines. After leaving The Chicks, Lynch became a public relations officer at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. 

Though much of The Chicks' success in the mainstream came after Lynch's departure in 1995, the band went on to win several ACM Awards in the years following, including Entertainer of the Year (2000), Top Vocal Group (1998-2000), and more, while also becoming one of the most enduring all-female bands in the Country space.