I liked the old Dixie Chicks better than the reconstituted version. That is, the Dixie Chicks who performed at bluegrass festivals in Colorado in the early nineties---they were oldtime country and sang old Patsy Cline and Dale Evans stuff, which I loved.
When they fired their lead singer (whose name I don't remember) and brought on Natalie Maines, their style changed, became more slick and bigtime, and their popularity soared, making them THE most popular female band in existence.
Until the eve of the Iraq war, when Natalie made her infamous comment at a London performance, "just so you know, we're ashamed that President Bush is from Texas"! Hate mail, death threats, dumped by country stations, picketed by all and sundry, the Chicks looked like goners.
I just finished watching their recently released DVD "Shut Up and Sing" after having purchased the CD "Taking the Long Way" and knowing the songs now well enough to beller along in the car, "I'm not ready to make nice, I wouldn't do it if I could...".
In the documentary, I was impressed by the Chicks and their sturdy resistance to backing down from their point of view. They were scared their careers were in the tank, but they didn't blame Natalie or kick her out, they didn't capitulate to get their country fans back, and they stuck to their guns.
And we know now that their CD won Grammys and that they are once again on top of the music heap. And they were right about the war and President Bush.
3 comments:
I remember when the Dixie Chicks brouhaha first started an old friend of mine saying that the radio stations boycotting them should loose their licenses, that it was Un-American, and would have a chilling effect on free speech. I asked, “Wait a minute- weren’t you part of the orange juice boycott that cost Anita Bryant her career?” “Yes, but...” “And didn’t you protest Ray Charles for playing Sun City? And didn’t you send money to the “Flush Rush” campaign, trying to drive Rush Limbaugh off the air? And this is different how?” “The Dixie Chicks are right!”
Yep, free speech for only some is not free speech.
I absolutely love the Dixie Chicks and your post has reminded me that I wanted to go out and get their new CD. Now I want to see the documentary too. Thanks!
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