Amy Ross Lopez was a brilliant singer and composer who, along with her husband Derrick Ross, established the folk group Nowhere Man and A Whisky Girl.
She was passionate about music and loved her family, but she also suffered from lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease that affects many organs and tissues.
In this article, we will look into Amy Ross Lopez and her husband’s lives and deaths, as well as the unexpected reunion of her long-lost niece with her uncle, a member of the country band Due West.
Early Life and Adoption
Amy Ross Lopez was born July 23, 1973, in Sheridan, Wyoming. She was the daughter of John and Linda Lopez, with two brothers, Matthew and Michael. She grew up in a musical family, with her father being a guitarist and singer and her mother a pianist and vocalist.
She learned to play the keyboard and guitar at an early age and began writing songs as a teenager. When she was 25, she discovered she was pregnant, but she chose to give the baby up for adoption. She sifted through piles of applications before selecting the Breinholt family as her baby girl’s eternal home.
It was a closed adoption, which meant that the birth and adoptive moms met in person once before the baby was born and again immediately thereafter. They exchanged letters for a month or two before all communication halted.
At the time, the adoption was not disclosed to the entire family, and Matthew Lopez, her brother and a musician, was one of the family members who was fully unaware.
Amy Ross Lopez Music Career and Marriage
Amy met and married her soulmate, Derrick Ross of Phoenix, Arizona, when she was in her early twenties. They relocated to Bisbee, a little hamlet on the Mexican border, and established the folk duo Nowhere Man and A Whisky Girl.
The band released four albums: The Almanack of Bad Luck (2007), The Angels Share (2009), The Legend of the Whisky Girl (2011), and The Funeral Album (2013). They have performed at numerous locations and festivals.
Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, and Johnny Cash were among the musicians who influenced their music. They sang about love, loss, life, and death with a mix of humor and sincerity.
Amy was diagnosed with lupus around the age of 23, and she had to deal with the disease’s symptoms and complications, which included exhaustion, joint pain, skin rashes, renal difficulties, and blood clots. She also had to take several drugs, some of which damaged her voice and looks.
Despite the difficulties, she continued to create songs and perform with her husband, who stood by her through thick and thin.
Tragic Death and Suicide
Amy Ross Lopez, 25, died on October 13, 2013, from a blood clot in her lung, a lupus-related condition. Derrick Ross, her husband, committed suicide the same day at their home out of sadness over her passing.
Here is the tweet from the WYO Film Festival account:
Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl is the beautifully tragic love story of popular folk/Americana duo, Amy and Derrick Ross.
Sheridan locals will recognize Amy (Lopez) Ross as she grew up in the area, excelling in music during her time in school and productions at the WYO Theater. pic.twitter.com/vxJCYTZ3qp
— WYO Film Festival (@WYOFilmFest) September 2, 2022
Their friends, who had gone to check on them after missing a scheduled performance, discovered them. Their deaths stunned and grieved their fans, friends, and family, who recalled them as a caring couple and accomplished artists.
Reunion with Long-Lost Niece
A decade after Amy’s death, a documentary chronicling the couple’s lives and deaths was released, revealing that Amy had placed a baby for adoption. Those involved in the documentary were determined to find the infant, who would now be 25.
The Lopez family only knew two things about the baby from handwritten letters: she was raised in Arizona and her first name was McKenna.
They looked online and discovered McKenna Breinholt, a stunningly talented singer and songwriter with a sizable social media following. They called her to confirm that she was Amy’s biological daughter. They also found out she had auditioned for American Idol, a prominent singing competition show.
Matthew Lopez, Amy’s brother and member of the country band Due West, was pleased to find his long-lost niece. He intended to surprise her during her American Idol audition, where they met for the first time. They hugged and cried, sharing their stories and passion for music.
They also sang a song as a tribute to Amy and Derrick. Their heartfelt reunion moved the judges and audience, and McKenna advanced to the next round of the competition.
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Final Line
Amy Ross Lopez was a singer-songwriter who left behind a musical legacy and a loving family. Her spouse, Derrick Ross, was her life and music partner who could not bear to be without her. Their terrible deaths were a loss to the music industry and their fans.
McKenna Breinholt, their long-lost niece, was a talented singer and songwriter who inherited their love. Her reunion with her uncle, Matthew Lopez, was both a miracle and a blessing. Their story combines tragedy and joy, pain and healing, music and love.
