This page will contain discussion groups about Dixie Chicks, as they become available.Dixie ChicksThe Dixie Chicks: Martie, Natalie and EmilyThe Dixie Chicks is a country music group, formed in 1989 in Dallas, Texas, USA. Group historyThe original members of the Dixie Chicks were the sisters Martie Erwin and Emily Erwin, Laura Lynch and Robin Lynn Macy. Martie and Emily have married and their names are now Martie Maguire and Emily Robison. Robin Lynn Macy left in late 1992, preferring a "purer" bluegrass sound. She joined Sara Hickman and Patty Lege to form the group Domestic Science Club, which issued two albums before disbanding. Macy later founded a group called Big Twang, which cut one CD before its band members went their separate ways. Laura Lynch was replaced in 1995 by Natalie Maines, daughter of producer and steel guitar player Lloyd Maines. The new lineup had a massive hit with their album Wide Open Spaces on Sony's Monument label. This was followed by another smash hit CD, Fly. As of early 2005 these albums have sold over 12 million and 10 million copies respectively. The group was involved in a dispute with their record label for two years, and their next album Home was an independent production, produced by Lloyd Maines and released in 2002 after the Chicks and Sony reconciled their differences. Despite having a "non-commercial" sound – unlike the two previous records, Home lacks drums and is dominated by very-up-tempo bluegrass and pensive ballads – it was also a major success and has sold over 6 million copies (which might have been more but for the political controversy). The soundThe current line-up consists of group leader Martie (fiddle, mandolin, and vocals), Emily (guitar, dobro, banjo, and vocals), and Natalie (lead vocals and in concert, guitar). While Martie and Emily are accomplished musicians, Natalie has a strong and distinctive voice. The group's mixture of bluegrass and mainstream country music appeals to a wide spectrum of record buyers. The group's visual image ranges from pretty to jokey to fiery, which further enhances their general appeal.
This romantic, adventurous sense of independence is the major theme of the Maines-era Chicks; it is strongly evident too in "Cowboy Take Me Away", another of their signature songs, and then later in their cover of Stevie Nicks' "Landslide". But the Chicks can also deliver gleeful revenge epics such as "Goodbye Earl" (which led to their first mild brush with controversy when some radio stations shied away from playing it) or raucous, ribald numbers such as "Sin Wagon" (a concert staple rave-up). In contrast, a key track from Home was a rendering of Patty Griffin's "Top of the World" (for which the subsequent tour was named), which features a startingly unusual point of view and seeks to portray an almost unbearable sense of regret. Political controversyOn March 5, 2003, Natalie Maines provoked controversy in America by saying, during a concert in London, that the band was "ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas". Maines is a native of Lubbock, Texas. Following the uproar and a boycott of their music, the singer attempted to clarify matters on March 12 with the statement "I feel the President is ignoring the opinions of many in the U.S. and alienating the rest of the world." This statement failed to quiet her critics, and on March 14 she issued an apology stating "As a concerned American citizen, I apologize to President Bush because my remark was disrespectful. I feel that whoever holds that office should be treated with the utmost respect. We are currently in Europe and witnessing a huge anti-American sentiment as a result of the perceived rush to war. While war may remain a viable option, as a mother, I just want to see every possible alternative exhausted before children and American soldiers' lives are lost. I love my country. I am a proud American." Some fans remained angry and pressed on with a boycott of Dixie Chick music and stations that played their music, while other fans were disappointed that she apologized. In one display of anti-Dixie-Chick publicity, former Dixie Chick fans were encouraged to bring their Dixie Chicks CDs so that they could be crushed by a bulldozer. The extent of the backlash resulted in the artists being concerned about their personal safety and that of their families. Bruce Springsteen and Madonna were among those who came out in support of the right of the women to express their opinion. Not one to back down from controversy, even Madonna herself was pressured to cancel the release of her anti-war video "American Life" which featured a Bush parody. On April 24, the Dixie Chicks launched a publicity campaign to explain their position. During a prime-time interview with TV personality Diane Sawyer, Maines said she remained proud of her original statement. The band also appeared naked (with private parts strategically covered) on the May 2, 2003 cover of Entertainment Weekly magazine with slogans such as "Traitors," "Saddam's Angels," "Dixie Sluts," "Proud Americans," "Hero," "Free Speech," and "Brave" printed on their bodies. Many critics called the moves publicity stunts, since they were launched on the eve of a U.S. concert tour. The original controversy was launched when a Guardian review of the group's London concert was picked up by U.S. media. For an article on how the Guardian reported the saga, see [1] (http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,943170,00.html). President Bush responded to the controversy surrounding the Dixie Chicks in an interview with Tom Brokaw on April 24:
At the first concert of their nation-wide tour the Dixie Chicks received a very positive reception. The concert was held in Greenville, South Carolina on May 1 and was attended by a sell-out crowd of 15,000. The women had come prepared to face up to opposition and Natalie Maines invited those who had come to boo to do so but the crowd erupted in cheers. Nevertheless, the band remained controversial. On May 6th, a Colorado radio station suspended two of its disc jockeys for playing music by the Dixie Chicks in violation of a ban on their music. On May 22 at the Academy of Country Music (ACM) awards ceremony in Las Vegas there were boos when the group's nomination for entertainer of the year awards was announced. However, the broadcast's host, Vince Gill, reminded the audience that everyone is entitled to freedom of speech. The Academy made the award to Toby Keith, an outspoken critic of the group. In the fall of 2003 the Dixie Chicks starred in a broadcast TV commercial for Lipton Ice Tea which made a tongue-in-cheek reference to the corporate blacklisting and the grassroots backlash: in the tea spot, the Chicks are about to give a stadium concert when the electricity suddenly goes out - but they manage to electrify the stadium all by themselves, belting out a rousing "a capella" version of "Set Me Free" to the raving cheers of the fans. A controversy has arisen regarding exactly who was responsible for launching the boycott of their music and the extent their fans supported the boycott. Some critics of the boycott, such as Michael Moore, claim the boycott was not a product of large numbers of fans angry at their comments but an organized plot by Bush-supporting radio chain executives and the Republican Party leadership. They claim the ban on playing their music by country music stations owned by Clear Channel Communications was not simply initiated by local station managers or DJs on their own or in response to angry listeners but was coordinated by top executives who wanted to curry favor among the Bush administration and Republicans in Congress for policies such as relaxation of media ownership rules. They also claim people working for the Republican party engaged in a deceptive phone campaign to convince country radio stations to remove the Dixie Chicks music from their playlist. Ultimately, they say, this led to the false perception that most Dixie Chicks fans were strongly opposed to Natalie Maines exercising her free speech right by making an anti-Bush remark. They point to the fact that the band’s then-current album sales were up and their concerts where largely selling out to support their claims. The boycott’s critics suggest that there was a deliberate attempt to create the false impression that many fans had turned against the Dixie Chicks in order to try and send a message to other celebrities that anti-Bush administration remarks could hurt your career. Clear Channel Communications and the RNC have denied these accusations. In October 2004, the Dixie Chicks joined the "Vote for Change" tour, playing a series of concerts in American swing states. These concerts were organized by MoveOn.org with the general goal of mobilizing people to vote for John Kerry and against George W. Bush in that year's Presidential campaign. The Dixie Chicks' appearances were joint performances with James Taylor. This effort was unsuccessful in getting Kerry elected, and during the concerts Maines' stage remarks revealed a certain amount of nervousness over what the Dixie Chicks' future career path would be. Discography
Awards2004 Awards
2003 Awards
2002 Awards
2001 Awards
2000 Awards
Further reading
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These concerts were organized by MoveOn.org with the general goal of mobilizing people to vote for John Kerry and against George W. "Missing" became an international hit and helped usher the band into a more electronic sound. In October 2004, the Dixie Chicks joined the "Vote for Change" tour, playing a series of concerts in American swing states. The group had their first hit single in 1984 with "Each and Every One", then hits followed like The Covers EP "Driving" and "Missing". Clear Channel Communications and the RNC have denied these accusations. Everything But The Girl are a British two-person band formed in Hull, England in 1982 by lead singer and bass guitarist Tracey Thorn (born September 26, 1962) and guitarist Ben Watt (born December 6, 1962). The boycott’s critics suggest that there was a deliberate attempt to create the false impression that many fans had turned against the Dixie Chicks in order to try and send a message to other celebrities that anti-Bush administration remarks could hurt your career. They point to the fact that the band’s then-current album sales were up and their concerts where largely selling out to support their claims. Ultimately, they say, this led to the false perception that most Dixie Chicks fans were strongly opposed to Natalie Maines exercising her free speech right by making an anti-Bush remark. They also claim people working for the Republican party engaged in a deceptive phone campaign to convince country radio stations to remove the Dixie Chicks music from their playlist. They claim the ban on playing their music by country music stations owned by Clear Channel Communications was not simply initiated by local station managers or DJs on their own or in response to angry listeners but was coordinated by top executives who wanted to curry favor among the Bush administration and Republicans in Congress for policies such as relaxation of media ownership rules. Some critics of the boycott, such as Michael Moore, claim the boycott was not a product of large numbers of fans angry at their comments but an organized plot by Bush-supporting radio chain executives and the Republican Party leadership. A controversy has arisen regarding exactly who was responsible for launching the boycott of their music and the extent their fans supported the boycott. In the fall of 2003 the Dixie Chicks starred in a broadcast TV commercial for Lipton Ice Tea which made a tongue-in-cheek reference to the corporate blacklisting and the grassroots backlash: in the tea spot, the Chicks are about to give a stadium concert when the electricity suddenly goes out - but they manage to electrify the stadium all by themselves, belting out a rousing "a capella" version of "Set Me Free" to the raving cheers of the fans. The Academy made the award to Toby Keith, an outspoken critic of the group. However, the broadcast's host, Vince Gill, reminded the audience that everyone is entitled to freedom of speech. On May 22 at the Academy of Country Music (ACM) awards ceremony in Las Vegas there were boos when the group's nomination for entertainer of the year awards was announced. On May 6th, a Colorado radio station suspended two of its disc jockeys for playing music by the Dixie Chicks in violation of a ban on their music. Nevertheless, the band remained controversial. The women had come prepared to face up to opposition and Natalie Maines invited those who had come to boo to do so but the crowd erupted in cheers. The concert was held in Greenville, South Carolina on May 1 and was attended by a sell-out crowd of 15,000. At the first concert of their nation-wide tour the Dixie Chicks received a very positive reception. President Bush responded to the controversy surrounding the Dixie Chicks in an interview with Tom Brokaw on April 24:. media. For an article on how the Guardian reported the saga, see [1] (http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,943170,00.html). The original controversy was launched when a Guardian review of the group's London concert was picked up by U.S. concert tour. Many critics called the moves publicity stunts, since they were launched on the eve of a U.S. The band also appeared naked (with private parts strategically covered) on the May 2, 2003 cover of Entertainment Weekly magazine with slogans such as "Traitors," "Saddam's Angels," "Dixie Sluts," "Proud Americans," "Hero," "Free Speech," and "Brave" printed on their bodies. During a prime-time interview with TV personality Diane Sawyer, Maines said she remained proud of her original statement. On April 24, the Dixie Chicks launched a publicity campaign to explain their position. Not one to back down from controversy, even Madonna herself was pressured to cancel the release of her anti-war video "American Life" which featured a Bush parody. Bruce Springsteen and Madonna were among those who came out in support of the right of the women to express their opinion. The extent of the backlash resulted in the artists being concerned about their personal safety and that of their families. In one display of anti-Dixie-Chick publicity, former Dixie Chick fans were encouraged to bring their Dixie Chicks CDs so that they could be crushed by a bulldozer. Some fans remained angry and pressed on with a boycott of Dixie Chick music and stations that played their music, while other fans were disappointed that she apologized. I am a proud American.". I love my country. While war may remain a viable option, as a mother, I just want to see every possible alternative exhausted before children and American soldiers' lives are lost. We are currently in Europe and witnessing a huge anti-American sentiment as a result of the perceived rush to war. I feel that whoever holds that office should be treated with the utmost respect. This statement failed to quiet her critics, and on March 14 she issued an apology stating "As a concerned American citizen, I apologize to President Bush because my remark was disrespectful. and alienating the rest of the world.". Following the uproar and a boycott of their music, the singer attempted to clarify matters on March 12 with the statement "I feel the President is ignoring the opinions of many in the U.S. Maines is a native of Lubbock, Texas. On March 5, 2003, Natalie Maines provoked controversy in America by saying, during a concert in London, that the band was "ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas". In contrast, a key track from Home was a rendering of Patty Griffin's "Top of the World" (for which the subsequent tour was named), which features a startingly unusual point of view and seeks to portray an almost unbearable sense of regret. But the Chicks can also deliver gleeful revenge epics such as "Goodbye Earl" (which led to their first mild brush with controversy when some radio stations shied away from playing it) or raucous, ribald numbers such as "Sin Wagon" (a concert staple rave-up). This romantic, adventurous sense of independence is the major theme of the Maines-era Chicks; it is strongly evident too in "Cowboy Take Me Away", another of their signature songs, and then later in their cover of Stevie Nicks' "Landslide". The group's visual image ranges from pretty to jokey to fiery, which further enhances their general appeal. The group's mixture of bluegrass and mainstream country music appeals to a wide spectrum of record buyers. While Martie and Emily are accomplished musicians, Natalie has a strong and distinctive voice. The current line-up consists of group leader Martie (fiddle, mandolin, and vocals), Emily (guitar, dobro, banjo, and vocals), and Natalie (lead vocals and in concert, guitar). Despite having a "non-commercial" sound – unlike the two previous records, Home lacks drums and is dominated by very-up-tempo bluegrass and pensive ballads – it was also a major success and has sold over 6 million copies (which might have been more but for the political controversy). The group was involved in a dispute with their record label for two years, and their next album Home was an independent production, produced by Lloyd Maines and released in 2002 after the Chicks and Sony reconciled their differences. As of early 2005 these albums have sold over 12 million and 10 million copies respectively. This was followed by another smash hit CD, Fly. The new lineup had a massive hit with their album Wide Open Spaces on Sony's Monument label. Laura Lynch was replaced in 1995 by Natalie Maines, daughter of producer and steel guitar player Lloyd Maines. Macy later founded a group called Big Twang, which cut one CD before its band members went their separate ways. She joined Sara Hickman and Patty Lege to form the group Domestic Science Club, which issued two albums before disbanding. Robin Lynn Macy left in late 1992, preferring a "purer" bluegrass sound. Martie and Emily have married and their names are now Martie Maguire and Emily Robison. The original members of the Dixie Chicks were the sisters Martie Erwin and Emily Erwin, Laura Lynch and Robin Lynn Macy. The Dixie Chicks is a country music group, formed in 1989 in Dallas, Texas, USA. ISBN 0878331891. Taylor Trade Publishing. Dixie Chicks: Down-Home and Backstage. (2000). Dickerson, James L. Top of the World Tour (live concert album (CD and DVD)) (2003). An Evening with the Dixie Chicks (live concert DVD) (2002). Home (album) (2002). Fly (album) (1999). Wide Open Spaces (with Natalie Maines replacing Laura Lynch) (1998). Shouldn't a Told You That (without Robin Lynn Macy) (1993). Little Ol' Cowgirl (1992). Home on the Radar Range (45rpm single) (1991). Thank Heavens for Dale Evans (1990). |