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The Dixie Chicks is a country music group, formed
in 1989 in Dallas, Texas, United States|USA. 

==Group history==

The 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 music|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 Records|Monument label. This was followed
by another smash hit CD, Fly (album) | 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 (Dixie Chicks 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 to come). Despite (or perhaps because
of) the negative publicity, Home dominated the
Grammy Awards of 2003|2003 Grammy Awards, winning
four of them, including Grammy Award for Best
Country Album|Best Country Album. Tickets for the
associated Top of the World tour often sold out
within hours.

==The sound==

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).  While
Martie and Emily are accomplished musicians,
Natalie has a strong and distinctive voice. The
group's mixture of Bluegrass music|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.

:: She needs wide open spaces 

:: Room to make her big mistakes

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 controversy==

On March 10, 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 (entertainer)|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 The
Guardian|Guardian review of the group's London
concert was picked up by U.S. media. (For the
Guardians summary of the controversy, see
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,36
04,943170,00.html.)

George W. Bush|President Bush responded to the
controversy surrounding the Dixie Chicks in an
interview with Tom Brokaw on April 24: 
:"The Dixie Chicks are free to speak their mind.
They can say what they want to say...They
shouldn't have their feelings hurt just because
some people don't want to buy their records when
they speak out...Freedom is a two-way
street...I...don't really care what the Dixie
Chicks said. I want to do what I think is right
for the American people, and if some singers or
Hollywood stars feel like speaking out, that's
fine. That's the great thing about America. It
stands in stark contrast to Iraq..."
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/25/international/wo
rldspecial/25BUSH-TEXT.html?pagewanted=all

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, Nevada|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 "Cowboy Take Me Away" 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 United States Republican
Party|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
Republican National Committee|RNC have denied
these accusations.

In a September 2003 interview, Maguire told Der
Spiegel magazine: "We don't feel a part of the
country scene any longer, it can't be our home any
more." She noted a lack of support from country
stars, and being shunned at the 2003 ACM awards.
"Instead, we won three Grammys against much
stronger competition. So we now consider ourselves
part of the big rock 'n' roll family." However, in
an open letter to fans on the Chicks' website,
Maines said that Maguire had been misquoted.

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 ==
===Albums===
* Thank Heavens for Dale Evans (1990)
* Home on the Radar Range (45rpm single) (1991)
* Little Ol' Cowgirl (1992)
* Shouldn't a Told You That (without Robin Lynn
Macy) (1993)
* Wide Open Spaces (with Natalie Maines replacing
Laura Lynch) (1998) (US Sales: 12 million; Country
chart #1, Pop chart #4)
* Fly (album)|Fly (1999) (US Sales: 10 million;
Country chart #1, Pop chart #1)
* Home (Dixie Chicks album)|Home (2002) (US sales:
6 million; Country chart #1, Pop chart #1)
* An Evening with the Dixie Chicks (live concert
DVD) (2002)
* Top of the World Tour (live concert album (CD
and DVD)) (2003) (CD US sales: ??; Country chart
#3, Pop chart #27)

===Singles===
{|
|-
|Release|| || Highest Billboard || Positions
|-
|Date||Song||Country Chart||Pop Chart
|-
|from Wide Open Spaces
|-
|10/27/97||"I Can Love You Better"||#7||#77
|-
|4/14/98||"There's Your Trouble"||#1 (2
weeks)||#36
|-
|7/28/98||"Wide Open Spaces"||#1 (4 weeks)||#41
|-
|1/18/99||"You Were Mine"||#1 (2 weeks)||#34
|-
|5/07/99||"Tonight The Heartache's On Me"||#6||#46
|-
|??/??/??||"Let 'er Rip"||#64||-
|-
|from Fly ||  ||  ||
|-
|7/16/99||"Ready To Run"||#2||#39
|-
|11/08/99||"Cowboy Take Me Away"||#1 (2
weeks)||#27
|-
|2/29/00||"Goodbye Earl"||#13 Gold||#19
|-
|5/07/00||"Cold Day in July"||#10||#65
|-
|??/??/??||"Sin Wagon"||#52||-
|-
|8/09/00||"Without You"||#1 (1 week)||-
|-
|2/12/01||"If I Fall You're Going With
Me"||#3||#38
|-
|6/25/01||"Heartbreak Town"||#23||-
|-
|9/21/01||"Some Days You Gotta Dance"||#7||#55
|-
|from Home || || ||
|-
|5/23/02||"Long Time Gone"||#2||#7
|-
|8/20/02||"Landslide"||#2||#7
|-
|11/25/02||"Travelin' Soldier"||#1 (1 week)||#25
|-
|5/21/03||"Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)"||#44||-
|-
|??/??/??||"White Trash Wedding"||#56||-
|-
|??/??/??||"Tortured Tangled Hearts"||#58||-
|-
|}

==Awards==

===2004 Awards===
* 2004 Patrick Lippert award from MTV's Rock the
Vote, for "protecting freedom of expression"
http://www.softcom.net/webnews/wed/cw/Uus-rockthev
ote.RwyB_EJN.html

===2003 Awards===
* 2003 http://www.finemanpr.com/blunders.html
FINEMAN PR's "Top 10 PR Blunders List"
http://www.azreporter.com/news/features/2003/prblu
nders.html
* VH1's "Big Quote of 2003"
http://www.vh1.com/shows/events/big_in/2003/show_c
at.jhtml
* 2003 Grammy Award: Grammy Award for Best Country
Album|Best Country Album- Home
* 2003 Grammy Award: Grammy Award for Best Country
Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal|Best
Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal -
"Long Time Gone"
* 2003 Grammy Award: Grammy Award for Best Country
Instrumental Performance|Best Country Instrumental
Performance-"Lil' Jack Slade"
* 2003 Grammy Award: Grammy Award for Best
Recording Package|Best Recording Package- Home

===2002 Awards===
* 2002 Billboard magazine|Billboard Music Award:
"Country Duo/Group of the Year" 
* 2002 Country Music Association|Country Music
Association (CMA) Award: "Vocal Group of the Year"
* 2002 Country Music Television|CMT Flameworthy
Award: "Video Visionary Award"
* 2002 American Music Award: "Favorite Country
Band, Duo or Group" 
* 2002 American Music Award: "Favorite Country
Album" for Home 
* 2002 People's Choice Award: "Favorite Musical
Group or Band"

===2001 Awards===
* 2001 TNN/Country Music Television|CMT: "Favorite
Group/Duo" 
* 2001 American Music Award: "Favorite
Band/Duo/Group" 
* 2001 Academy of Country Music|Academy of Country
Music (ACM): "Entertainer of the Year"
* 2001 Academy of Country Music|ACM: "Vocal Group
of the Year"
* 2001 Academy of Country Music|ACM: "Video of the
Year" - Goodbye Earl

===2000 Awards===
* 2000 Country Music Association|Country Music
Association (CMA): "Album of the Year" - FLY
* 2000 Country Music Association|CMA: "Entertainer
of the Year"

==Further reading==
* Dickerson, James L. (2000). Dixie Chicks:
Down-Home and Backstage. Taylor Trade Publishing.
ISBN 0878331891.

==See Also==
* Best selling music artists

==External links==
* http://dixiechicks.launch.yahoo.com/ Dixie
Chicks Official site
* http://www.dixiechickshenhouse.com/ Dixie Chicks
Henhouse site offers current news, lyrics,
discography, photos plus more
* http://www.dixie-chicks.com/ "The All Inclusive
Dixie Chicks" extensive site with discography, etc
* http://www.dixiechicksfaq.com/ Dixie Chicks
Frequently Asked Questions addresses issues from
"How do I get good tickets" to "Are all the eBay
autographs fake?"
*
http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-122976
96,00.html Chicks' Naked Fury about the
Entertainment Weekly cover
* http://www.totallycool.net/DixieChicks.html The
Entertainment Weekly cover at totallycool.net (644
x 828 px)
*
http://www.billboard.com/bb/daily/article_display.
jsp?vnu_content_id=1880142 AP article on
Greenville concert.
* http://www.counterpunch.org/dixie05172003.html
Victims of a Republican Plot - The Dixie Chicks
Cross the Road By The Editors of Rock and Rap
Confidential (Anti-Boycott)
*
http://www.globalaware.org/noticeboard/mm_dixie.ht
ml Dixie Chick Sales are Up by Michael Moore
(Anti-Boycott)
* http://www.tabloidcolumn.com/dixie-chicks.html
Dixie Chicks & Alec Baldwin Fighting For 'Center
Square'on The Hollywood Squares? BY JAKE EASTON -
R a d o k  N e w s (pro-boycott)

de:Dixie Chicks