The Dixie Chicks
"Dixie Chicks are the highest selling female group in any genre." (Dixie Chicks Official Website, 2012)
Martie, Natalie, Emily (Left to Right)
Columbia Records, 2010 (Examiner.com)
In the Beginning
| The Dixie Chicks are an all girl country group that formed 23 years ago. But the current members of Dixie Chicks - Natalie Maines, Emily Erwin Robison, and Martie Erwin Maguire - are not all original. It was Laura Lynch and Robin Lynn Macy, along with sisters Emily and Martie Erwin, who created the Dixie Chicks on a street corner in Dallas in 1989. Originally, Martie Maguire was fiddle, mandolin, vocals, Emily Robison was guitar, banjo and vocals, with Laura Lynch on bass and Robin Lynn Macy on guitar. Natalie Maines, lead vocal, guitar, would later replace Robin and Laura as they dropped out of the band (Brooks 1999). Where did their name come from? The Chicks named their group after the Little Feat song Dixie Chicken (Daily Celebrations). The Dixie Chicks Released their first album Thank Heavens for Dale Evans in 1990. |
Emily, Robin, Martie and Laura (Left to Right) - The original members of the Dixie Chicks
(from Original Chicks)
| In 1993, Robin Macy left the group, followed by Laura Lynch in 1995. The young Natalie Maines was immediately asked to join the Dixie Chicks. "I told them yes before I even thought it over," Natalie said. "The only thing I knew for sure was that I wasn't going to wear those cowgirl clothes." (People 1998) And it is with this configuration that that the Chicks found stardom with a younger, more modern, sexier image. Martha Elenor Erwin, aka "Martie," was born in 1969 and her sister Emily Burns Erwin was born in 1972 to parents Paul Erwin and Barbara Trask, both teachers. The sisters were raised in Addison, Texas, outside of Dallas. Martie began playing violin at age 5, and Emily started violin at age 7. Emily followed with banjo, dobro, mandolin, and other acoustics later. Natalie Louise Maines Pasdar was born in 1974 in Lubbock, Texas to Lloyd and Tina Maines. Her father Lloyd is a steel guitarist of The Maines Brothers Band (Brooks 1999). |
The Rise to Fame
The old Dixie Chicks had been on an independent label, but the new blonde trio were scouted by Sony Records in 1996. They released Wide Open Spaces and Fly in 1998 and 1999, which rocket launched the Chicks into amazing fame and popularity. Their first album together went quadruple platinum and they began accruing awards, honors, and recognition (Brooks 1999). They released a new album, Home, in 2002, amid a heavy touring schedule and high profile appearances.
Wide Open Spaces (1998) and Fly (1999) Albums were extremely popular and sent the Dixie Chicks to stardom
(from Lyrics Pond)
“People do want to figure out: which one are you?” says Robison, of their traditional personas in the Chicks. “Martie’s ‘the nice one that smiles,’ I’m ‘the quiet one,’ and Natalie’s ‘the feisty one.’ (Courtyard Hounds)
The Falling Out
In 2003, at a London concert, just before the U.S. invasion of Iraq and under the Presidency of George W. Bush, lead singer Natalie Maines said, "we don't want this war, this violence, and we're ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas." The Dixie Chicks received a considerable backlash and a sizable controversy ensued. After this comment, many conservative Americans began boycotting the Dixie Chicks, even destroying their CDs in public. The Chicks received death threats and Natalie publicly apologized for her offense (BBC News).
Entertainment Magazine cover (2003) and Documentary Shut Up and Sing (2006)
However, the Dixie Chicks were not going to just "Shut up and sing." They still held their belief in true freedom of speech, as embodied in the documentary released in 2006. "The Dixie Chicks said the film captures their growth as performers bonding through adversity, something that would not have happened had their career continued with monster record sales and sellout tours." (NBC News)
Political Cartoon from 2003 noting the wide spread buzz about Natalie's comment
(from Dixie Chicks Fan Site)
“It turned us into women, I think,” Maines said. “One thing that surprised me in watching it is watching my own maturing right before my eyes.” (NBC News)
Album Cover - Taking the Long Way and accompanying picture
(Dixie Chicks Official Website)
Music Video of "Not Ready to Make Nice", Youtube
If not viewable, click link --> Not Ready to Make Nice
This song from 2007 was one of the main titles off of the Taking the Long Way Album in response to the political controversy. And this album, although controversial did very well. All in all the Dixie Chicks have sold more than 36 million albums.
...Where Are They Today?
The Dixie Chicks are each married with several children. The Dixie Chicks are technically not together. In 2010, Emily and Martie released new music without Natalie. Their new group is called Courtyard Hounds (Courtyard Hounds).
Robert Brooks, Tripod. "The All-Inclusive Dixie Chicks Page." Oct. 1999. http://rbrooks.tripod.com/index.html (accessed Sept. 29 2012).
Dixie Chicks Official Site. "The Dixie Chicks." http://www.dixiechicks.com/default2006.asp
(accessed Sept. 30 2012).
Daily Celebrations. "Best of Both Worlds." 12 Oct. 2002. http://www.dailycelebrations.com/101201.htm (Accessed Oct. 1 2012).
BBC News. "Dixie Chicks Get Death Threats". 24 Apr. 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2972043.stm (Accessed Oct 1 2012).
NBC News. "Dixie Chicks ‘Shut Up and Sing’ in Toronto." Associated Press, 13 Sept. 2006. http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14822593/site/todayshow/ns/today-entertainment/t/dixie-chicks-shut-sing-toronto/#.UGob4aRYtNw (accessed Oct. 1 2012).
"Feather Friends," People Magazine, September 28, 1998, 167.
Court Yard Hounds. "The Official Court Yard Hounds Site." http://www.courtyardhounds.com/us/home (accessed Sept. 29 2012).
The layout of your blog post makes it incredibly easy to read and understand as well as enjoyable because of your implementation of prominent visual coherence with the text, which is very well done. Normally, to be honest, I probably wouldn't have even read a blog post about the Dixie Chicks. However, the way in which you constructed the post makes it simple, informative, and intriguing all at the same time. I also felt like your use of color, placement of pictures/videos, and making the text have a sort of visual appeal was rendered well. This in turn catches the readers attention and highlights key points effectively. When it came to content I think you did a good job in creating a well summarized biography of the band but there was something missing when it came to your post outlining/addressing any initial problems, questions or concerns. I also felt that your defining of the band historically was a bit vague and focused more on addressing the band's history rather than defining it. Otherwise all your other points were concise and well expressed, including addressing the band, it's members, their general biography, and both their critical acclaim (record sales) and disparagement (the freedom of speech controversy). You also made clear the independent and “not ready to make nice” mind-set that the band evoked when engaging with popular culture, which was tied together well with everything else.
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