Julee Cruise, ‘Twin Peaks’ Singer, Dies at 65

Julee Cruise, a voice woven into the DNA of David Lynch and Mark Frost’s Twin Peaks from its start, has died at 65. Cruise was a collaborator with Lynch and composer Angelo Badalamenti, starting their creative relationship with 1986’s Blue Velvet. Her husband Edward Grinnan confirmed the death on Facebook, but did not add any cause of death.

“For those of you who go back I thought you might want to know that I said goodby to my wife, Julee Cruise, today. She left this realm on her own terms. No regrets. She is at peace,” the Facebook message reads. “Having had such a varied music career she often said that the time she spent as a B filling in for Cindy while she was having a family was the happiest time of her performing life. She will be forever grateful to them.

“When she first stepped up to the mic with Fred [Schneider] and Kate [Pierson] she said it was like joining the Beatles,” the message continued. “She will love them always and never forget their travels together around the world. I played her [the B-52s song] ‘Roam’ during her transition. Now she will roam forever. Rest In Peace, my love, and love to you all.”

Cruise is best known for her contributions to Twin Peaks, though. Her voice is essential to the tone and feel of the series from the very start, providing the songs “Into the Night” and “The Nightingale” to the series soundtrack, while also giving haunting vocals to the show’s memorable theme song.

Lynch addressed the passing during his latest weather report, responding in his typical Lynch fashion that people have come to expect at this point. “I just found out that the great Julee Cruise passed away. Very sad news,” Lynch says in the clip. “So might be a good time to appreciate all the good music she made, and remember her as being a great musician, great singer, and a great human being. Julee Cruise.”

According to Deadline, Cruise had revealed she was dealing with systemic lupus back in 2018. This came shortly after her return to Twin Peaks for the show’s 2017 Showtime revival, but there is no indication that she had succumbed to the illness officially.