Mimi Parker, Drummer and Vocalist for Low, Dead of Ovarian Cancer at 55

Anna Lazarus Caplan
·2 min read
5
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Chris Uncle/Shutterstock (1455451y) Low - Mimi Parker Low in concert at the El Rey, Los Angeles, America - 21 Sep 2011
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Chris Uncle/Shutterstock (1455451y) Low - Mimi Parker Low in concert at the El Rey, Los Angeles, America - 21 Sep 2011

Chris Uncle/Shutterstock

Indie rock vocalist and drummer Mimi Parker, a cofounder of seminal 1990s band Low, has died.

The Minnesota native died Sunday after a longtime battle with ovarian cancer, the band confirmed in a statement on social media. She was 55.

"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," the post read. "Keep her name close and sacred. Share this moment with someone who needs you. Love is indeed the most important thing."

Parker formed Low in 1993 along with her husband Alan Sparhawk. The Duluth, Minnesota-based band pioneered a minimalistic rock sound that blended lush instrumentals, complemented by the couple's ethereal harmonies. Their sound went on to influence the era's "slowcore movement," according to NPR.

"I've been pushing towards the beauty and I know Alan sometimes focuses on the chaos," Parker said in a 2021 interview with All Things Considered.

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KEFLAVIK, ICELAND - JULY 10: Mimi Parker of Low performs live on stage at ATP Iceland music festival at Asbru on July 10, 2014 in Keflavik, Iceland. (Photo by Matthew Eisman/WireImage)
KEFLAVIK, ICELAND - JULY 10: Mimi Parker of Low performs live on stage at ATP Iceland music festival at Asbru on July 10, 2014 in Keflavik, Iceland. (Photo by Matthew Eisman/WireImage)

Matthew Eisman/WireImage

Critically acclaimed from their first album I Could Live in Hope in 1994, Low released 13 more albums in 27 years. Both Parker and Sparhawk were practicing Mormons, and their song lyrics often alluded to end times, morality and redemption, according to the Duluth Star Tribune.

While other band members came and went, the couple's bond was a testament to their longtime relationship, having met in grade school in the small town of Clearbrook in northern Minnesota, per the newspaper.

A European tour earlier this year was eventually canceled after Parker became too sick to perform.

"There have been difficult days, but your love has sustained us and will continue to lift us through this time," Sparhawk said in a statement last month.

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Parker's fans, both in the music industry and beyond, honored the singer on social media Sunday.

"Sad news about a magical musician," Dan Wilson of the band Semisonic tweeted.

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Music producer Geoff Barrow tweeted, "Heartbroken by the news of Mimi Parker's passing. Her Voice with Alan's often emotionally moved me unlike any other band."

Parker's survivors include her husband, as well as their two children, daughter Hollis and son Cyrus, according to the Star Tribune.