[Stopislamnow]

Pulled this from The Nuge boards.

This from the "feasible rumour" department:

A disc jockey reports that it has been posted on a CMT mesasge board that Lipton corporate attorneys are formalizing the cancellation of their sponsorship of
the Dixie Chicks' 2003 Top Of The World Tour. The accuracy and credibility of this report has not been established. However, if you go to the Lipton website at www.lipton.com, the big Dixie Chicks banner has been removed, as has any mention of the Chicks in their press release archive. This would seem to suggest that Lipton is indeed severing their ties to the Dixie
Chicks.

And, there's this one.....love it!!!....
http://celebrityjustice.warnerbros.com/news/03/03/27a.html

The Dixie Chicks
March 26, 2003

In a tongue-in-cheek tribute to matrimonial bliss, the Dixie Chicks holler that they're really ready to run. In a lawsuit filed on behalf of fans, The Chicks are accused of running a scheme along with the official Dixie Chicks fan club, Yahoo Inc., Ticketmaster and Sony Music.

According to the complaint, attorney's representing fans claim the parties conspired to induce members of the public to shell out $30 to join the fan club. In exchange, members would get "first access to the best seats" for the groups 2003 U.S tour. But the lawsuit calls the pitch a misrepresentation, a conspiracy, and a fraudulent scheme, claiming in fact that those who forked over the $30 got the worst seats.

South Carolina attorney James Merrit filed the suit demanding the $30 membership fee be returned to all disgruntled fans who signed up thinking they'd be part of a pre-sale that gave them the inside track
on good tickets. He also wants the group and its associates to stop the alleged false advertising.

Merritt told "CJ," "I believe they conspired to use the ruse of a fan club and a so-called pre-sale of the 'best seats' to induce tens of thousands of their fans to pay premium prices for the poorest seats."

Last week's sales of the Dixie Chicks' latest release, "Home," dipped by more than 52,000 copies from the week before; that's more than a 40-percent drop. Representatives of the band did return our calls, but asked for more time to officially respond.

[The_Sword_of_Groo]

This is a copy of the reply I got from Lipton:

Dear Consumer, Thank you for your recent note regarding remarks made by Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks. It is important for us to hear from our consumers and listen to their concerns. As you can imagine, we did not expect a political controversy to arise when Lipton became a sponsor of the Dixie Chicks upcoming "Top of the World" concert tour. In this time of national crisis, we believe it is important for Americans to come together behind the values of freedom, democracy and tolerance that have made the United States of America into the country it is today. We have every reason to believe the Dixie Chicks sincerely regret the distress Ms. Maine's comment has caused. In a subsequent statement, she said, "As a concerned American citizen, I apologize to President Bush because my remark was disrespectful. I feel that whoever holds that office should be treated with the utmost respect. We are currently in Europe and witnessing a huge anti-American sentiment as a result of the perceived rush to war. While war may remain a viable option, as a mother, I just want to see every possible alternative exhausted before children and American soldiers' lives are lost. I love my country. I am a proud American." The Dixie Chicks have in the past shown their love of America in very public ways, such as by singing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl in January, for an audience of 930 million people worldwide. The strong bond they have forged with the public - country and popular music fans alike - is reflected in part by the People's Choice award they won for "Favorite Musical Group," and the fact that their upcoming tour sold out in record time. The band's popularity and success were further recognized when the Recording Academy awarded the Dixie Chicks four Grammy Awards. While we respect the right to free speech for all Americans, we believe it is important for artists such as the Dixie Chicks to recognize the impact their points of view can have on their fans, especially in these uncertain times. We value your comments, and equally, the constructive spirit in which they were offered. Thanks again for your time and for allowing us to clarify the situation. We'll be certain to share your thoughts with the Dixie Chicks. Sincerely, Linnea Johnson Director, Consumer Services

Sounds like to me they're gonna stick with the chix...