The Dixie Chicks, or The Chicks as they are now known, have been going strong in the country scene since 1995. Despite facing backlash for their political views during the early aughts after speaking out against then-president George W. Bush’s plan to invade Iraq, The Chicks powered through the hurdles in their way. But where are they now?
After founding member Laura Lynch passed away on Dec. 22, 2023, those who haven’t been following The Chicks might think the band is done touring for good.
The former “Dixie” Chicks and their history
Formed in 1989, the original lineup featured Martie Maguire, Emily Strayer, Robin Lunn Macy, and Laura Lynch. The band had a much more country sound and style than it would have in later years. Lynch and Macy left the band in the early 90s, leaving a hole in lead vocals. Natalie Maines filled the spot, and with her, she brought a contemporary appeal that broadened the band’s horizons.
Within a year, the band was signed by Sony’s Monument Records, and their first single, “I Can Love You Better” exploded onto the country music scene, securing a spot on the Top Ten list for American country music. By 1998, the Dixie Chicks had sold more CDs than all other country artists combined. The following year the band released the album Fly, from which their songs, “Cowboy Take Me Away” and “Without You,” dominated the Grammy Awards.
The 2000s saw a slew of successes marred by controversy for the band. The Chicks sued Sony for abusive accounting practices, eventually winning their freedom from the label. Their departure allowed them a foray into pop with “Long Time Gone,” and by 2002, the band was regularly invited to perform for television specials. In 2003, however, The Chicks were derailed after being blacklisted for speaking out against the imminent allied invasion of Iraq.
Political activism and blacklisting
During a performance at the Sheppard’s Bush Empire in England, just before the band played “Travelling Soldier” Lead singer Natalie Maines told the audience, “Just so you know, we’re ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas.” The comment got the band blacklisted from thousands of country music stations, and the band members were issued death threats. Maines apologized for the “disrespectful comment,” but by 2006 she rescinded the apology, saying that Bush “deserved no respect.”
Despite the hit to sales, The Chicks persevered. The band participated in multiple not-for-profit events, from raising funds for those impacted by Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita to working with MoveOn.org and Vote for Change and campaigning for LGBTQ rights.
Their 2006 album, Taking the Long Way, sold more than 500,000 copies in the first week, launching it to golden record status — despite their continued blacklisting from country music stations. Though the American market refused to endorse the album for more than a year after its release, the 2006 Grammy Awards saw sweeping wins for the band, and by the following year, they were populating American charts once again. Ironically, when the band attempted to release a documentary about their political cancellation, it too was blacklisted from airing on most major networks.
Maines took a hiatus from the band after embroiling herself in controversy once again in 2008 after she spoke in support of the West Memphis Three, but her bandmates continued to work under the name The Courtyard Hounds. By 2010, Maines was back, and the band collaborated with big names like Beyoncé, Steve Martin, and Taylor Swift over the following years.
The Chicks released Gaslighter — their first album in 14 years — in 2020. That same year, they performed at the Democratic National Convention, solidifying their dedication to never backing down to political pressures.
Why did they change their name?
In 2020, The Chicks announced their intent to change their name after hearing the confederate flag described as “a confederate swastika.” The word “Dixie” had come under fire for its connotations of American slavery, and after the George Floyd protests, they felt it “lit a fire in us to be on the right side of history.”
Though the band has come a long way since its original members set down its foundation, when December 2023 brought with the tragic death of Laura Lynch, The Chicks came forward to mourn her passing and proudly acknowledged that it was their former vocalist’s “undeniable talents” that put them on the map and allowed them to stop “busking on street corners to stages all across Texas and the mid-West.”
