NEW MEXICO – Kylie Rae Harris, a rising country singer from Texas, died in a car accident on Wednesday in New Mexico, Alex Torrez, the CEO of her management company, Torrez Music Group, tells CNN. She was 30.
“We are heartbroken to confirm that Kylie Rae Harris passed away in a car accident last night,” a statement provided to CNN from Torrez read. “We have no further details to share, and ask for privacy for her family at this time.”
Harris, who released a self-titled EP in March, had been in New Mexico to perform at Michael Hearne’s Big Barn Dance Music Festival, according to the concert listings on her official website. Her next performance was supposed to take place on Saturday in Turkey, Texas.
“Everyone that knew Kylie knew how much she loved her family and, beyond that, how much she loved music,” the statement added. “The best tribute to her unmatched enthusiasm for both is to spread as much love as you can today, and listen to music that fully inspires you.”
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Harris’ friends and peers in the Texas country music scene and beyond honored her on Thursday upon news of her passing.
“@kylierh we all loved you so much. Can’t process it right now. It will always be an honor to have shared stages with you, and stories, and good times. Sad Sad day for us,” wrote singer Josh Ward. “Sending thoughts and prayers out to all who grieve with us on such a devastating loss.”
“I fell in love with your soul and you became a life long friend from the moment I met you,” singer Lauren Jenkins added. “This doesn’t feel real. I’m completely heart broken.”
Harris had a daughter, Corbie, for whom she wrote a song featured on her EP called “Twenty Years from Now.”
Harris told Billboard that she wrote the song after her father’s death and hoped it would be a lasting message to her own child.
“It scared me thinking that it was totally possible I could be gone before my daughter reaches that point,” she told the publication. “I want to meet my kid’s kids. Getting to the age your parents were when you were a child brings a whole lot of perspective.”
She added: “Parents are people. People make mistakes and being a parent is hard. I’m not always going to make the right choices, but I hope that when Corbie gets older she’ll see that they were all made with love and the best of intentions.”
