Dixie Chicks was an American country music group that gained crossover success in the pop market. The group’s principal members were Martie Maguire, Emily Robison, and Natalie Maines. Early members included Robin Lynn Macy, who left in 1992, and Laura Lynch, who was replaced by Maines in 1995. In a tragic accident, a founding member of the group, Laura Lynch passed away on Friday, 22 December.
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The original members of Dixie Chicks and their rise and success
Dixie Chicks, an American country music trio, was formed in 1989 in Dallas, Texas. The group, consisting of Martie Erwin Maguire, Emily Erwin Robison, and Natalie Maines, was the highest-selling female musical group in the USA and has won 13 Grammy Awards as of 2012. As of February 2010, Maguire and Robison are writing and recording as Court Yard Hounds. Robin Lynn Macy was an original band member, as was Laura Lynch. Macy left the group in 1992, while Lynch was replaced by Natalie Maines in 1995.
The Dixie Chicks gained popularity for their diverse genre, earning multiple Grammys for their albums Fly (1999) and Home (2002). Their acoustic-inspired album, Home, featured a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s Landslide and won Best Country Album at the Grammy Awards. However, the group faced controversy for publicly denouncing President George W. Bush and the Iraq invasion during their Top of the World tour. Many country music stations removed their music from the air, and the band faced criticism from various media outlets.
Dixie Chicks’ debut album, Wide Open Spaces (1998), sold over 12 million copies and was named best country album at the 1999 Grammy Awards. Their album, Taking the Long Way, was released in 2006, featuring fourteen tracks co-written by the group and produced by Rick Rubin. The album won five Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group, Album of the Year, and Best Country Album.
The Dixie Chicks took a hiatus from recording after Taking the Long Way, but occasionally performed. Maguire and Robison formed the duo Court Yard Hounds, and Maines released a solo album, Mother (2013). In 2016, the Dixie Chicks reunited for a world tour, and in 2020, they changed their name to the Chicks. They released Gaslighter, their first studio album since 2006, which focuses on failed relationships, including Maines’s breakup.
The passing of the founding member Laura Lynch
Laura Lynch, a member of the Dixie Chicks, died in a head-on collision in Hudspeth County, Texas. She was 65 years old and was driving a pick-up truck and at around 5:45 p.m. Friday, 22 December she was struck by a vehicle trying to pass another on a two-way undivided highway, the Texas Department of Public Safety said. The other driver was taken to an El Paso hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after the vehicle caught fire. Lynch was not wearing a seatbelt and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The band posted a throwback video on Instagram of the original line-up performing when it included Lynch on bass. The caption of the tribute read, “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. 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.”
Lynch gave an interview in 2003 about her experience as a Chick, shared by the Plainview Herald of Texas. She declined to share why she left the group but confirmed she was replaced. At the time, Lynch said she had no regrets about missing the group’s rise to fame, according to the article. “It was worth it,” Lynch added. “I’d get anemic all over again to do it.”
