It was announced earlier today (6 November) that Mimi Parker, drummer, singer and co-founder of the band Low, has died, at the age of just 55.
A message was posted on the band's official Twitter account:
"Friends, it's hard to put the universe into language and into a short message, but she passed away last night, surrounded by family and love, including yours. Keep her name close and sacred. Share this moment with someone who needs you. Love is indeed the most important thing."
She met future bandmate and husband, Alan Sparhawk, in grade school in Minnesota. His minimalist project, Zen Identity, morphed into Low in 1993 and he invited Parker to join on drums. Debut album, I Could Live In Hope, followed in 1994, as Low forged a path in what is known as 'slowcore' fusing power and soaring vocals with restraint and quietness.
While the band line up has changed a few times over the years, Sparhawk and Parker remained constant. Critic Denise Sullivan likened the pairs vocal performances as being, "as chilling as anything Gram [Parsons] and Emmylou [Harris] conspired on."
Tributes:
Many from the music world have been sharing their thoughts on Parker's passing on Twitter.
Geoff Barrow of Portishead: "Heartbroken by the news of Mimi Parker's passing. Her voice with Alan's often emotionally moved me unlike any other band. Their music together transcended all the bullshit in the world and I will treasure every time I saw them play them live or said hello to her at a festival."
Producer, Steve Albini (who produced several Low albums) heard the news while in a conference. "I was momentarily overwhelmed, the sound of her voice resonant in my memory, beautiful and heart-breaking."
Rapper, el-p of Run the Jewels, simply said, "thank you Mimi Parker 💔"
Everything But The Girl's Ben Watt added, "Just unbearably sad to hear of the death of Low's Mimi Parker. My heart goes out to Alan and their family. I feel honoured that our paths crossed more than once."
Parker had been battling ovarian cancer since 2020. She leaves behind Sparhawk and their two children.
Here are a couple of songs from Low's catalogue - Monkey (from 2005's The Great Destroyer) showcases Parker's drumming, stark and powerful, while Shame (from 1995's Long Division) highlights her beautiful vocals.
Monkey: https://youtu.be/qH_B_4vXX_w
Shame: https://youtu.be/AESrPcQRgc0