Dawn Sears, the vocalist for the Time Jumpers and a longtime collaborator with Vince Gill, died last Thursday after a two-year battle with lung cancer, according to Rolling Stone. She was 53 years old.

Sears began performing at age 14, when she won a local talent contest in North Dakota. By 17, she was touring the country, and she got her first record deal in 1987. Her solo work drew comparisons to Reba McEntire and Shelby Lynne, among others; it was also during this time that she joined up with Vince Gill, who brought her on tour in the 1990s.

In recent years, Sears joined her husband, fiddler Kenny Sears, in the Time Jumpers, who maintain a standing gig at Nashville’s 3rd And Lindsley every Monday. She is survived by her husband and their daughter, Tess.