Replies

Natalie. "I don't want to be played on those [Country radio] stations," she says. "And when I watched people smashing our CDs I just thought, Good. Smash 'em. Please don't listen to me. I had no idea you thought I was one of you, because I'm not."
Wait. She's not done. "And I don't want to go to any [country music] award shows. And if we did win, what would I get up there and say? I have nothing to say to these people." In fact, Natalie, who issued an apology at the height of the dustup, says that today it is the apology, not the original offending comment, that she'd take back if she could. "It was all mine - nobody made me apologize and nobody wrote it for me - but when I look back and read it, I don't stand behind what I said. That will make people extra-mad, because some were like, Well, at least she apologized."...

from "Heroines Among Us", Vogue Magazine, December 2003, p. 279/333.

September 22, 2003
Maguire told Spiegel magazine: “We don’t feel part of the country scene any longer, it can’t be our home any more.”

She said she was disappointed other country singers didn’t back up the Dixie Chicks in their criticism of George W Bush’s politics on Iraq.

“A few weeks ago, Merle Haggard said a couple of nice words about us, but that was it,” Maguire complained.

“The support we got came from others, like Bruce Springsteen.”

Going home empty-handed from the Country Awards ceremony also made them decide to break with the scene, Maguire said.

“Instead, we won three Grammys against much stronger competition.

“So we now consider ourselves part of the big Rock ‘n’ Roll family.”

"For me to be in country music to begin with was not who I was. I liked Martie and Emily's playing, but I did not grow up liking country music. And I guess I was ignorant to the fact that the stereotypes behind country music were true — and it was disappointing. And so at this stage, I can never... I would be cheating myself and not setting a good example for my children to go back to something that I don't wholeheartedly believe in. So I'm pretty much done. They've shown their true colors. I like lots of country music, but as far as the industry and everything that happened... I couldn't want to be farther away from that. And it's easier when you're financially set, because you can be a little more ballsy, and just do what you want to do. I don't want people to think that me not wanting to be a part of country music is any sort of revenge. It is not. It is totally me being who I am, and not wanting to compromise myself and hate my life." Natalie Maines Entertainment Weekly 2006

“I’d rather have a small following of really cool people who get it, who will grow with us as we grow and are fans for life, than people that have us in their five-disc changer with Reba McEntire and Toby Keith,” Maguire said. “We don’t want those kinds of fans. They limit what you can do.” Time Magazine 2006

This is what I think:

I'm tired of the Dixie Chicks contradicting themselves.

I'm tired of the Dixie Chicks campaigning against Country Music.

I'm tired of the Dixie Chicks going after other country music artists.

I'm tired of the Dixie Chicks telling their former fans, "accept" that what I said was right...or I will campaign with the help of the media and other anti-war people to make sure that you pay and pay and pay for disagreeing with me.

Free speech is a two way street. No amount of promotion by the media and the anti-war camp will silence those whose opinions they disagree with.