Mimi Parker of Low has died, aged 55
Mimi Parker, the longtime member of alternative legends Low, has passed away following her battle with ovarian cancer that started in 2020. The Duluth, Minnesota, group announced the news on their Twitter this morning (November 6th).
“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 message says. “Keep her name close and sacred. Share this moment with someone who needs you. Love is indeed the most important thing.”
Parker grew up in Duluth, Minnesota, and was always surrounded by music, as her mother was a country singer. “So she had a guitar and we would kind of just sit around and play music,” Parker told Fresh Air in 2005. “And my role was always to come up with harmonies, because she and my sister would usually sing the lead, so from the beginning… I just learned how to listen and kind of draw and come up with harmonies.”
Parker began drumming in middle school, where she played the snare in the marching band. Then, in grade school, she met her future Low bandmate and husband, Alan Sparhawk. They started dating in high school and later married.
Low became pioneers of the slowcore subgenre alongside the likes of Behead, Codeine and Duster. They enjoyed much success and have even had the likes of Robert Plant and Jeff Mangum cover their songs. Notably, their 2005 record The Great Destroyer is hailed as one of the most significant titles of the decade and was their first on Sub Pop.
Despite the group experiencing different lineup changes, Parker and Sparhawk always remained members. One of the rare groups to get better as they matured, their 2018 record Double Negative, was their most critically successful to date. Following this, in 2021, the Parker and Sparhawk released their first album as a duo, Hey What.
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