Country quartet Little Big Town cancelled two of their California concerts last week (begs26Nov12) to mourn the death of Kimberly Schlapman's brother-in-law.

The Pontoon hitmakers were due to play shows in Riverside, California on Wednesday (28Nov12) and in Los Angeles the following day (29Nov12), but they scrapped the performances following the passing of someone in their "immediate family".

Now the group has opened up about the tragic incident, revealing the singer's relative, Thomas Allen Schlapman, 45, was killed in a motorcycle accident the night before Thanksgiving (21Nov12).

In a post on Facebook.com, Kimberly writes, "(On) Nov 21, my brother-in-law was killed by a drunk driver. He had come to Nashville (Tennessee) from Virginia to visit us for Thanksgiving, which is our long-standing family tradition. He is married & has a 9 year old little girl. This is a part of life that one never imagines or plans for. It has been very difficult to accept.

"Allen Schlapman was an amazing father, husband, brother & son. We will miss him so much. I have been deeply touched by all your well-wishes & prayers. Thank you. God has proven himself faithful to us & has given us great peace amidst this horrible tragedy."

According to local news station Wtvf-Tv, Schlapman was riding his bike in Franklin, Tennessee when he was struck by an oncoming car. The accused driver, Gregory Powers, was later charged with vehicular homicide and failure to maintain a lane. Cops are still awaiting the results of his blood alcohol tests.