Kylie Rae Harris: Everything to Know About the Aspiring Country Singer

Country singer Kylie Rae Harris‘ career was just getting started when it was tragically cut short Wednesday. The 30-year-old was killed in a three-car crash in northern New Mexico, on her way to a music festival in Taos. A 16-year-old was also killed in the car crash.

The Wylie, Texas resident died Wednesday night on State Road 222, reports Taos News. Both Harris and the teenage girl were killed at the scene. The driver of the third car was not injured.

Police suspect alcohol was involved in the crash. All three drivers were wearing seatbelts.

“We are heartbroken to confirm that Kylie Rae Harris passed away in a car accident last night,” Harris’ publicist said in a statement Wednesday. “(We) have no further details to share, and ask for privacy for her family at this time. Everyone that knew Kylie knew how much she loved her family and, beyond that, how much she loved music. The best tribute to her unmatched enthusiasm for both is to spread as much love as you can today, and listen to music that fully inspires you.”

Harris’ career was full of potential, especially after she released her self-titled EP in March. Here’s what you need to know about the budding country singer.

Photo credit: YouTube/Troubadour, TX

Harris Shared Emotional Instagram Story Videos Before Her Death

Just hours before the car crash, Harris spoke directly to fans in an emotional Instagram Story video. She was crying just before she arrived in Taos for the Big Barn Dance festival. Harris opened up about how important Taos is to her.

“For those of you who don’t know, I’ve spent the last 20 years of my life coming to Taos with my dad and my sister. My grandparents lived here, my uncle still lives here,” Harris said through tears. “But, basically, literally everybody that was here has passed away except for my uncle and including my dad.”

She continued, “Driving these roads today – I’ve been driving for almost 12 hours, and you would think that’s so exhausting and boring but the last couple of hours driving through the mountains and just like remembering my place in the backseat as a little kid when my dad was making these trips.”

Harris said she became really sad after seeing crows in the middle of the road. It reminded her of a story from her childhood.

“There was this time, it’s something we always talked about with my dad and my sister, I was in the back seat asleep, I was like 10 or 12, and we hit something really hard. I popped up and was like, ‘What’s that?’ and my dad said, ‘Cattle guard!’ But really he hit a cow,” she said.

In the end, Harris said, “I know that’s really depressing, but just the fact that… I was on my trip through the mountains and I was crying and IU was sad and all of a sudden these cows appeared out of nowhere. But we grieve in different ways, and… I don’t know.”

Harris Tweeted About an ABC Reality Show and Running on Empty

Harris’ final tweets highlighted her sense of humor. In one message, she joked about being offered an ABC reality show, which she had no interest in.

“Lol… So an ABC casting producer reached out to me about a new dating show specifically for singer/songwriters,” she wrote. “This is not a joke, but I think it’s fckn hilarious.”

One fan said they would watch her on a reality show, but she replied, “I’d be too mean to the dudes and too mean about their songs… Now that I think of it, sounds kind of fun.”

Harirs’ final tweet was an ominous message.

“Fuel range is 46 miles and I’m 36 from the nearest gas station. Dear baby Jesus please don’t let me get stranded in NM,” she wrote.

Harris did appear on a reality show at the start of her career. In 2011, she starred in the syndicated docu-series Troubadour, TX, which focused on young musicians struggling to make it in the Texas scene.

Harris Dedicated the Song ‘Twenty Years From Now’ to her Daughter

Harris is survived by her six-year-old daughter, Corbie, to whom she dedicated the song “Twenty Years From Now.” The track is featured on her EP.

“You deserve nothing less than happiness / And so do I / Twenty years from now / My prayer is that somehow / You’ll forgive all my mistakes and be proud of the choice I made / God I hope I’m still around/ Twenty years from now,” she sings, notes Billboard.

The song was written with Jon Randall after a road trip from Tulsa to Nashville to visit Corbie’s father.

“I held my feelings together for most of the drive, but once I saw that little baby asleep in the backseat I pulled over and bawled my eyes out,” Harris told Billboard. “I had no clue what I was doing, but I knew that I loved her fiercely, and prayed that one day she would come to her own conclusions about everything and see that I did the best that I knew how to.”

She continued, “Jon Randall and I wrote the song shortly after I got back home from that trip. It was a pretty emotionally brutal writing/therapy session, and we were very careful to try not to shine a negative light on anyone while still telling my truth.”

Her Influences Include Bonnie Raitt and Sheryl Crow

According to Harris’ Facebook bio, her influences include Bonnie Raitt and Sheryl Crow. She was also included by singer/songwriters Walt Wilkins and Patty Griffin.

“We spent what seemed like hours to a kid in that old Suburban,” Harris said of her days growing up in a press release. “My step-dad is a music lover and he was the one who introduced the whole Texas-Americana, singer-songwriter thing to me. It’d be he and my mom in the front seat, and me and my two sisters and brother in the back. He’d put on Radney Foster or Jerry Jeff Walker and we’d sing along to all these different harmony parts. I love that memory.”

Her First EP Was Released in 2013

Harris’ rise through the ranks of country music took several years. Her first EP, Taking It Back, was released back in 2013 and helped her get attention in the Texas music scene, reports Saving Country Music.

In 2014, she won the 2014 Female Vocalist of the Year award from the Texas Regional Radio Music Awards. She then put a hold on her career to be with Corbie.

Harris’ Father Died at 54 from Cancer

Harris wrote “Twenty Years From Now” a few months after her father died following a battle with cancer. He was 54 years old.

The singer told Billboard that her father’s death inspired a fear that her daughter might not know her as an adult.

“It scared me thinking that it was totally possible I could be gone before my daughter reaches that point,” she told Billboard. “I want to meet my kid’s kids. Getting to the age your parents were when you were a child brings a whole lot of perspective.”

She later told the magazine, “Parents are people. People make mistakes and being a parent is hard. I’m not always going to make the right choices, but I hope that when Corbie gets older she’ll see that they were all made with love and the best of intentions.”

Harris Also Owned a Vintage Boutique in Texas

Harris did have interests outside music. She owned a Texas vintage boutique called Corbie + Co., reports Wide Open Country. She shared some of her favorite festival looks with the magazine this summer.

“These looks have an emphasis on festival fashion. Fun, free-spirited and leaning toward bohemian, festival fashion combines prints, a little edge and risk! I usually try to incorporate vintage pieces, with maybe one new piece and some cool accessories,” she told the site.

“The wide-brimmed fedoras are super ‘in’ right now, so those are always a great accessory, particularly when it comes to festival fashion,” she continued. “I also included one look that expresses the more earthy/mountain hippie side to my style. I love knits and beanies, as well earth-tones. This style comes across more casual.”

Harris Knew She Wanted to Be a Musician at Age 12

According to Harris’ biography, she knew she wanted to sing at age 12. So, her mother enrolled her in a “vocal camp,” which only served to get her more excited about singing.

After high school, she got into an abusive relationship and entered a dark period of her life. She decided to write a song called “Change,” which inspired her to keep moving her life forward.

“To me, songs are supposed to have a purpose,” Harris said. “I trapped myself in a situation and finally it clicked. I had to change. People to some extent have the ability to dictate their own happiness and I try to put that in my songs. I want people to see there is a way out when they feel like they’ve trapped themselves. They’ve got to change something.”

Harris later said she hoped her music could “move people.”

“Music has always been in me,” she added. “I have to do it. This is all or nothing for me. I’m going to be writing and singing music the rest of my life whether I’m broke or not so I might as well go for it.”