Nell Smith, a 17-year-old musical prodigy known for her collaboration with the Flaming Lips, died in a tragic car accident on October 5, 2024. Her sudden death has left her friends, family, and the music community in mourning.
When she was 14 years old, Nell Smith came into the limelight after working with the Grammy-winning rock band The Flaming Lips on a unique project—a cover album of Nick Cave's music titled "Where The Viaduct Looms." Here's a short video of the collaboration that Nell posted on her X account, captioning it "How it all began..."
Trending
The Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne honoring Nell during a concert
Wayne Coyne, The Flaming Lips' lead guitarist and vocalist, first noticed Nell Smith at their concert when she was 12 years old. Wayne kept in touch with the family, ultimately leading to an unlikely yet successful collaboration.
Coyne announced Nell Smith's death on stage during the Flaming Lips concert in Portland on October 6. During the performance of his song Suddenly Everything Has Changed, Coyne said:
"We are reminded once again of the power of music and how encouraging it can be to be around people that you love,”
Nell died in a car accident in British Columbia, which left her family heartbroken. They took to social media to share grief, describing her as "feisty, talented, and unique." They also expressed how her loss created a deep void in their lives and the significant impact she made in her brief 17 years on earth.
Simon Raymonde, a close family friend, posted a few pictures of Nell with her family and close ones on Instagram.
The most recent post on Nell's account is co-tagged under an account named @judesmithjude. It is a carousel post, combining heartfelt memories from Nell's childhood with friends and close family members expressing their grief in the comment section.
According to reports, Nell Smith was getting ready to release her first solo album in 2025 through an indie record label, Bella Union. She had been collaborating closely with Jack and Lily Wolter from the band Penelope Isles.
Nell Smith had also started a Kickstarter campaign to help with the release of her solo album, in which she raised over $17,000 in funds (which she mentioned far exceeded her initial expectations). When speaking about her album, she said:
“I have always loved music and started writing some of the songs that will be on this album when I was 12, seeing them come to life is really exciting.”
She went on to say that if her album and the subsequently lined-up tours would be a success, she'd use the funds to fulfill her:
"real dream, which is to get to music school in the U.K."
Nell Smith's tragic passing has hit The Flaming Lips fans and family doubly hard, coming at a time when the band is currently involved in the search for the missing Charlotte Drozd, the daughter of their lead drummer, Steven Drozd, who has also been missing since October 5. This double blow has left the band and its fans utterly shocked.
Reply
