US country band the Chicks, formerly known as the Dixie Chicks, have said they are "shocked and saddened" by the death of a founding member in a car crash.
Laura Lynch, 65, co-founded the group alongside Robin Lynn Macy, Martie Erwin and Emily Erwin in 1989. She played the upright bass and was a vocalist.
She was driving a ute on the US62 highway outside of El Paso when she was struck head-on by the driver of another ute on Friday night (local time).
“Laura was a bright light … her infectious energy and humour gave a spark to the early days of our band,” the band said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“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.”
The band changed its name to the Chicks following George Floyd's murder which sparked worldwide protests in 2020.
The term Dixie is associated with the Confederacy, which defended the legal ownership of enslaved Black people during the American Civil War.
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