Nell Smith, musical prodigy and Flaming Lips collaborator, dead at 17

Nell Smith, a rising instrumentalist known for her collaborations with the Flaming Lips, has died. She was 17.

A origin of decease has yet to beryllium revealed but during the the psychedelic stone band’s performance connected Sunday successful Portland, Ore., frontman Wayne Coyne shared the bittersweet news: “We got immoderate precise bittersweet messages contiguous that she was killed successful a car mishap past night, and we’re reminded erstwhile again of the powerfulness of music.”

The Canadian singer’s household confirmed her decease successful an Instagram comment connected Monday.

“It pains america truthful overmuch to accidental that our feisty, talented, unique, beauteous girl was cruelly taken from america connected Saturday night,” the station stated. “We are reeling from the quality and don’t cognize what to bash oregon say.”

The household continued: “She had truthful overmuch much to acquisition and to springiness this satellite but we are grateful that she got to acquisition truthful precise overmuch successful her 17 years. She has near an indelible people connected the connection and an unfillable chasm successful our hearts. Hold your kids other choky contiguous and for present delight permission america to enactment done things. We volition outcry erstwhile we request you. Jude, Rachel, Jed and Ike x.”

The Flaming Lips be the 45th Annual Grammy Awards astatine Madison Square Garden connected February 23, 2003 successful New York City. (Photo by Scott Gries/Getty Images)

Smith was acceptable to merchandise her debut solo medium connected the Bella Union grounds statement successful 2025. The medium was to beryllium a follow-up to her 2021 collaboration wit the Flaming Lips connected an medium of Nick Cave covers, titled “Where the Viaduct Looms.”

The grounds company’s cofounder Simon Raymonde, the erstwhile bassist for the Cocteau Twins, wrote connected Instagram astir being “shocked and devastated to perceive of the abrupt and tragic passing of our creator and beloved friend.”

The teen prodigy, who developed a relationship with the Flaming Lips successful 2018, was acceptable to grounds with the radical erstwhile the COVID-19 pandemic enactment the satellite connected lockdown. The “She Don’t Use Jelly” rockers went connected to nutrient the task remotely.