The Dixie Chicks

Country’s most controversial crooners, The Dixie Chicks, formed in 1984 in Dallas, Texas. Sisters, Martie and Emily Erwin founded the band, along with lead singers, Laura Lynch and Robin Lynn Macy. The band with the bluegrass sound released their debut album, Thank Heavens for Dale Evans in 1990, and soon gained recognition opening for country stars such as Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, and George Strait.

In 1992, Robin Lynn Macy left the band, in pursuit of a more "authentic" bluegrass sound. Despite the fact that the band made high-profile appearances at President Bill Clinton's Inauguration and on CBS This Morning during the early 90s, a breakthrough hit continued to elude them.

In late 1995, Laura Lynch was replaced on lead vocals by Texas native, Natalie Maines. Also at this time, Sony scouted the girls and signed them to Monument Records label. By 1997, the Chicks’ new single, “I can Love You Better,” cracked country music’s Top 10. The following year, the Chicks released their breakthrough album, Wide Open Spaces, which produced three number one singles and went on to become one of the 50 best-selling albums in U.S. history.

The Chicks continued to release hit albums throughout the new millennium, including Fly in 2000, Home in 2002, and Top of the World in 2003. However, the group’s mainstream popularity came to a screeching halt in March of 2003, during a concert in London, England, when Natalie Maines uttered the following words: "Just so you know, we're ashamed the President is from Texas."

On the advent of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Maines’s comment did not take long to make its way back across the pond to the politically-charged climate of their home country. The comment sparked intense criticism from many Americans who felt it was un-American to criticize the country’s leade, and on foreign soil no less. Included among those who were offended by Maines’s comments were some of the Chicks’ own fans and radio stations, who boycotted their songs in protest. Although some artists such as Bruce Springsteen and Madonna came to the Chicks’ defense, other artists such as Toby Keith publicly denounced the Chicks.

The next four years would see the Chicks largely dealing with the aftermath of the comments Maines made in London. On the May 2 cover of Entertainment Weekly magazine, the girls posed with signs covering their bodies, featuring labels that had been given to them since the controversy, including "Traitors," "Saddam's Angels," "Dixie Sluts," "Proud Americans," "Hero," "Free Speech," and "Brave."

In 2006, the documentary, Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. The documentary chronicled the experiences of the Chicks during the three years following the London incident. Also in 2006, the Dixie Chicks released the single “Not Ready to Make Nice,” which directly addresses the criticism and death threats they received as a result. The song entered the Billboard Hot 100 at #28, the highest new entry of the week. On May 22, 2006, the Chicks’ next album, Taking the Long Way debuted at #1, going gold within its first week and making The Chicks the first female group in history to have three albums debut at #1.

In February 2007, The Chicks swept the Grammy awards taking home five trophies, including Album of the Year and Country Album of the Year. Some felt their landslide win was a nod of support from the Recording Academy, giving the Chicks a victorious triumph over a three year backlash.

YUDDY