17-year-old musical prodigy, collaborator of rock icons, killed in car accident

Nell Smith, a musical prodigy best known for her collaborations with The Flaming Lips, has died. She was 17.

The singer’s death was announced by Simon Raymonde of Bella Union, the record label that will release Smith’s debut album.

“We are all shocked and devastated to learn of the sudden and tragic death of our artist and dear friend Nell Smith over the weekend in British Columbia,” Raymonde wrote in an Oct. 7 Instagram post.

Smith’s family also posted an emotional tribute on Instagram, saying the 17-year-old singer was “cruelly taken from us on Saturday evening (October 5).”

Wayne Coyne, frontman of The Flaming Lips, said during a concert Sunday in Portland, Oregon, that Smith died in a car accident.

Smith collaborated with The Flaming Lips for the 2021 covers album of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ music. The 17-year-old had been working on her debut solo album, which was due to be released in 2025.

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