Everyday Creation

Tribute to Laura Lynch, featuring Sheldon Zoldan

Kate Jones Season 1 Episode 53

Laura Lynch was one of the four founders of the Dixie Chicks, now the Chicks. She sang and played the upright bass with the band for six years and then left the music business. 

Lynch co-wrote and sang "Pink Toenails," which was released in 1992 on the group’s second studio album, "Little Ol' Cowgirl."
 
According to oldtimemusic.com, “Pink Toenails” was inspired by the personal experiences of the Dixie Chicks members, who wanted to shed light on the struggles people face in conforming to society's norms, and the importance of embracing one’s true self.

To hear the song, you can go to this video. There's a picture of the album cover of "Little Ol' Cowgirl" in this episode's chapters along with an image of the book "Laura Lynch Biography: Life and Legacy of an Iconic Musician and Founding Member of Dixie Chicks," by Shana B. Peter.

Also in the chapters, you can go right to the tribute by skipping my intro; feel free to skip my closing remarks too. Both are there to provide context for those who haven't listened to the other tributes.

Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime writer and editor, wrote and recorded this tribute and the others in the series. Sheldon also writes Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. To get on his subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

Audio engineer/musician Mike Villegas edited all the audio for this series. Hope you enjoy these intriguing glimpses into the lives of the people who made some of the music we love.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify and Audible.

Kate:
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Hello, and welcome to Everyday Creation. This is

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your host, Kate Jones, with one of 44

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tributes

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to significant figures in the music industry

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who passed away in 2023.

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My guest Sheldon Zoldan,

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a longtime writer and newspaper editor,

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wrote these short biographies

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and recorded them.

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Each one is an intriguing

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glimpse into the life and impact of someone

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who contributed

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to the soundtracks of our lives. Here's what

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Sheldon has to say in this tribute.

Sheldon:
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Laura Lynch wasn't made for country music

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even though she helped found one of the

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most successful country bands ever.

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She left the Dixie Chicks,

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now the Chicks,

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after two albums and before they gained international

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success.

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Lynch died December 22nd

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on a Texas highway

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when the truck she was driving was struck

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head on.

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She was

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65.

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Lynch started the band with sisters Emily Strayer

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and Marty Maguire,

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and Robin Lynn Macy in 1989

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Lynch sang and played the upright bass.

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Strayer and Maguire, still in high school and

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college respectively,

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played the fiddle.

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Macy was a schoolteacher and guitarist.

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They got their idea

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for their name while driving to an audition

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and Little Feat's

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"Dixie Chicken" came on the radio.

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They slowly evolved from a bluegrass band to

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a country band.

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Lynch left the band in 1995.

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The sisters said she'd been thinking about quitting

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for a year because she wanted to spend

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more time with her daughter.

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Lynch

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said she didn't resign

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but was voted out of the band.

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Lynch quit playing music.

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She got married and raised her daughter.

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She worked as a public relations officer with

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the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in

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Dallas,

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according to the New York Times obituary.

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She started oil painting.

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The Song of the Day,

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"Pink Toenails,"

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was inspired by the personal experience

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of the Dixie Chick members,

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according to oldtimemusic.com:

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"They wanted to shed light on the struggles

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people face in conforming

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to societal

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norms,

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and the importance of embracing one's true self."

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The song was never released as a single.

Kate:
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This is Kate again. Please go to the

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description for more information and to hear the

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song that Sheldon referenced.

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If you enjoyed this tribute, please check out

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the rest of them. Although some of the

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names are not as familiar as others, the

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biographies

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are equally intriguing.

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Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation.

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Please share this episode with anyone who might

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enjoy it.

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