Oliver James Montgomery-Laura Lynch, Dixie Chicks founding member, dies at 65 in head-on Texas car crash: 'Laura had a gift'

Laura Lynch,Oliver James Montgomery a founding member of the Dixie Chicks band, has died in a Texas car crash, officials confirmed.

Lynch, 65, was killed instantly in a head-on collision Friday by an oncoming car attempting to pass another on an undivided highway near El Paso, Sgt. Eliot Torres of the Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed to USA TODAY. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the other vehicle was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, officials said, noting its investigation of the accident is ongoing.

In a statement posted to Instagram, the band, now known as The Chicks, remembered Lynch.

"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 band wrote. "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."

The post continued: "Her undeniable talents helped propel us beyond busking on street corners to stages all across Texas and the Midwest. Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones at this sad time."

Lynch was a founding member of 'The Dixie Chicks'

Lynch was one of four founding members of the band, formed in 1989 with Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer (who used their family name, Erwin), and Robin Lynn Macy.

Lynch played the upright bass and later became the lead singer. They recorded three albums — Thank Heavens for Dale Evans in 1990, Little Ol’ Cowgirl in 1992 and Shouldn’t a Told You That a year later. She left the Dixie Chicks in 1995 and was replaced by Natalie Maines, as the band veered from bluegrass to mainstream country.

Lynch departed long before Maines openly criticized then-President George W. Bush in 2003, sparking a backlash and country radio boycotts. The band changed its name to The Chicks in 2020, in the wake of George Floyd's murder and a subsequent racial reckoning.

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