[dead]

These girls were a manfactured marketing product. They were capable players and singers, but nothing that special. Go into any bar in Austin or Nashville and find twenty girls with just as much talent.

But the record label marketed them like they were a big deal, and the record buyers played along, because they usually do. And everybody was happy.

Then she acted like a jackass multiple times and broke the spell. Everybody realized they were ordinary and nobody needed to buy anything from them ever again.

When you're Willie Nelson or Johnny Cash or Kris Kristofferson, you are unique talent. You can go out and say any stupid or crazy thing you want to say and people will still buy your records because you matter as an artist, even when you are saying something annoying.

The Dixie Chicks never mattered as artists and they should have just shut up and cashed the checks.

[ifinnegan]

Dead on.

[Enterprise]

"The Dixie Chicks never mattered as artists and they should have just shut up and cashed the checks."

I've talked with people about this. If she had had a little more wisdom, she would have just shut her mouth, and she would still be on tour and making a lot of money.

[Army Air Corps]

Oddly enough, the author admits to their mediocrity in his rambling scribble. From the Article:

The fact is, there’s a pretty big chance that the Dixie Chicks music would have faded away by now even if it had never been banned.

[ZagFan]

Nothing special? Are you kidding me? I think Natalie made a fatal mistake and I understand all the fuss, but they were a great act. Martie and Emily worked their behinds off since childhood taking music lessons, since their parents wouldn’t let them be cheerleaders or waste their time on that kind of nonsense, working and playing at all kinds of events as teens. They were blessed with singing voices too and they also wrote many of their songs. How many big-time artists do that today? They always dressed decently and didn’t have to parade around in lingerie because their talent spoke for itself. They played numerous instruments themselves. How many instruments do you see Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears or Katy Perry playing?

I still listen to their music. To me it’s country music—guitars, fiddles, banjos. Not that awful stuff from Tim McGraw or Toby Keith. I still think they sang the all-time greatest Super Bowl national anthem-no screeching, just singing.

Musically, it’s too bad what happened because they had talent, which is in short supply today from many artists. Especially tragic for the two sisters who worked their whole lives and lost so much because of what Natalie said.