Mimi Parker, Vocalist and Drummer of Low, Dies at 55

Mimi Parker, the vocalist and drummer of rock band Low, died on Saturday (Nov. 5) following a battle with ovarian cancer. She was 55.

The Duluth, Minn.-based group, which also includes Parker’s husband and bandmate Alan Sparkhawk, confirmed the sad news through its official Twitter account on Sunday.

“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,” Low tweeted in a statement. “Keep her name close and sacred. Share this moment with someone who needs you. Love is indeed the most important thing.”

In recent weeks, Low announced the cancellation of upcoming concert dates in the United Kingdom and Europe while Parker continued treatments for her cancer. She was diagnosed with the disease in December 2020.

“There have been difficult days, but your love has sustained us and will continue to lift us through this time,” Sparkhawk wrote in an Instagram post on Oct. 7. “With tears, we say thank you and hope to see you soon.”

Parker was born and raised in Minnesota, and her mother was an aspiring country singer, the vocalist and drummer previously told Chickfactor. Parker first played drums in her high school marching band, and began dating her future husband Sparkhawk during junior high school, according to NPR.

Sparkhawk and Parker, both practicing Mormons, formed Low in 1993 with original bassist John Nichols. The band, which featured other rotating members throughout the years, would later become a standout name in the “slowcore” rock sub-genre. Low’s 1994 debut album, I Could Live in Hope, received critical acclaim, and the act went went on to release 13 albums during its nearly 30-year career.

Parker is survived by her husband, Sparhawk, and their two children, Hollis and Cyrus.