We are very sad to share that Chris Porter and Mitchell Vandenburg of Porter and the Bluebonnet Rattlesnakes have passed away following an auto collision. Drummer Adam Nurre was injured in the accident and is currently hospitalized.

The following statement was released by This Is American Music:

“We are shocked and deeply saddened to learn this morning of the passing of Chris Porter. We don’t know many details yet, only that he and his band were in an accident in North Carolina last night. We’ve known Chris for a bit, going back to his band The Back Row Baptists and the lovely Some Dark Holler, who we were privileged to work with, up to his current project with Porter and the Bluebonnet Rattlesnakes. But our bond with Chris went well beyond music – he was a dear friend and member of our family, quick with a smile and a quip and never disheartened by the struggles of trying to make a go in this crazy world… and Chris always helped make it a little crazier, weirder and more cosmic. Our thoughts are with Chris’ family and friends and the people who are close to the other band members who were lost and injured. We hope everyone will hug each other a little tighter today, and hold on a bit closer to those who mean something in your lives. As we make these trips around the sun, it is easy for distance to find its way into those bonds, and as Chris’ friend Will Johnson has so poignantly said, “Connect when the feeling strikes. Work on loving. Work to avoid regret. Because a lot of the time it’s hard to tell what the last time looks like.” We love you Porter, and we miss you already.”

This article is from the Austin Chronicle: