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So the Dixie Chicks won five Grammys last night, including the big trifecta (best song, best album, best record), and your reaction to that probably has more to do with your politics than with your taste in music. The Chicks' big sweep Sunday night is being cast in the only light it deserves: as redemption for the abuse they suffered starting in March 2003, when Natalie Maines criticized President Bush. For that, the Chicks were censored by country radio and pilloried by conservatives in politics, entertainment and elsewhere. Likewise, they became heroines to liberals, like Michael Moore, who infamously invoked...

Three years after attacking President Bush, the Dixie Chicks and country music radio stations still aren't "ready to make nice." One of the most successful female country acts is ending the year on a high note: five Grammy nominations, including album, record and song of the year. Most refuse to play their songs, fearing alienated audiences, lower ratings and in turn, less advertising revenue. Earlier this year, a few stations turned down ads for Dixie Chicks concerts. Radio companies and industry experts insist the stations aren't picking on the Chicks. Instead, in an industry driven by research, they're making hard...

On May 1st, 2003, with much of the normally sedate country music community outraged by Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines' critical dig at the President, filmmaker Christopher Fleeger began an odyssey across the country, interviewing protesters at concerts and radio stations. What emerged is a fascinating look at a distinctly American discourse on discourse itself. The film focuses on the people who were inspired to add their voices and views to this storm of controversy and captures a crucial moment when many Americans sought to battle dissenting voices, believing it was the highest form of patriotism. With a vicious debate...

Dixie Chicks to Split Up After Grammy's? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Jim Roberts Dec 13, 2006 The Dixie Chicks just scored the big trifecta with Grammy nominations. The one-time country band that turned their collective backs on the music genre, its stars and its fans cleaned up with the three majors, Best Album, Song and Record for “Taking the Long Way” and the single, “Not Ready to Make Nice.” The Chicks were one of eight acts with five nominations each, as it appears that the Grammy's are desperately trying to give the gals some love for their America bashing ways. Now a...

December 14, 2006 The End of The Dixie Chicks The Dixie Chicks have been together since 1989... But it seems Natalie Maines' political outspokenness has brought the end of the band! Emily Robison, Martie Maguire & Natalie Maines have announced that they are going to split up after the Grammy Awards in February 2007. The Chicks are tired & wrung out, they’ve come to the end & they want a break from each other to spend more time with their families. But the real reason behind the split is political. Robison & Maguire have supported many of Maines' political beliefs,...

DIXIE CHICKS HATCH PLAN TO SPLIT UP! The Dixie Chicks are getting ready to fly the coop! The controversial country superstars have secretly decided to split up after the Grammy Awards - because Emily Robison and Martie Maguire no longer want to share the nest with outspoken Natalie Maines, say sources. "The Chicks are tired and wrung out," said a group insider. "They feel they've come to the end, and they want a break from each other to spend more time with their families." The three women, who have seven children among them, are at odds over Natalie's blunt political...

After a rash of fawning, poor-widdle-victims media blitzing, and eight weeks in theaters, the Dixie Chicks documentary, Shut Up and Sing, has finally passed the $1 million mark in box office receipts. Woo. Hoo.

<p>THE Dixie Chicks' biggest detractor, FreeRepublic.com founder Jim Robinson, declined to appear in their documentary, "Shut Up and Sing."</p> <p>Robinson's rep, Kristinn Taylor, confirmed he ducked the interview: "He told me to go ahead and do it."</p>

Heart of Dixie EW's Chris Willman got a sneak peek at the Dixie Chicks' sure-to-be-controversial documentary ''Shut Up and Sing,'' in which Natalie Maines calls the president a ''dumb f---'' The international press won't get their first look at the documentary Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing until its gala premiere at the Toronto Film Festival tonight. But EW.com got an early look at the sure-to-be-controversial doc in Los Angeles and can attest that the film will continue to bring the (ex?) country trio more plaudits from progressives and further condemnation from conservatives. And if you think singer Natalie Maines...

More than 20,000 Dixie Chicks fans in Houston bought the band's latest album, the 1.5 million-selling Taking the Long Way. That much is clear, along with the fact that the Dixie Chicks' Houston concert date was canceled. The promoter blames the radio stations. Initial reports cited slow ticket sales. But tickets for the Toyota Center show never went on sale. The country radio stations credit their listeners with the cancellation and blame the Chicks for a bad attitude. The fans will have to book trips to Dallas or Austin. Louis Messina, president of the Messina Group, the Houston-based concert promoter...

I thought some people might want some basics on the Dixie Chicks recent concerts. On August 5, the chicks played in Atlantic City at THE BOGATA EVENT CENTER, THE PERFECT GATHERING PLACE FOR 3,700 OF YOUR CLOSEST FRIENDS. On August 8 and 9, they played at the Halifax Metro Centre - A columnless arena with a 53-foot centre ceiling height.- Maximum seating capacity of 10,000 people. On August 10, they played at 6,350 seat Harbour Station, St. John, New Brunswick. Tonite, they play in Montreal at The Bell Centre at full capacity can seat 14,000 to 21,500 people in complete...

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP): Several concerts on the Dixie Chicks' "Accidents & Accusations'' tour have been canceled after slow ticket sales, but the group says it has replaced them with other dates. Kansas City, Houston, St. Louis, Memphis and Knoxville are among 14 cities no longer on the original schedule released in May, according to a revised itinerary posted Thursday on the Dixie Chick's Web site. Other shows, including Nashville, Los Angeles, Denver and Phoenix, have been pushed back to later dates. The North American leg of the tour kicked off July 21 in Detroit. Billboard magazine and other trade publications...

"A lot of pandering started going on, and you'd see soldiers and the American flag in every video. It became a sickening display of ultra-patriotism." "The entire country may disagree with me, but I don't understand the necessity for patriotism," Maines resumes, through gritted teeth. "Why do you have to be a patriot? About what? This land is our land? Why? You can like where you live and like your life, but as for loving the whole country… I don't see why people care about patriotism."

The Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines apologized for disrespecting President Bush during a London concert in 2003--but not now. "I don't feel that way anymore," Maines tells Time magazine. "I don't feel he is owed any respect whatsoever." As war in Iraq loomed, Maines had said: "Just so you know, we're ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas." That led to death threats and a backlash from other country stars, including Toby Keith. It also stalled what until then had been the group's smashingly successful career. With their new album, "Taking the Long Way," hitting stores today,...

DIXIE CHICKS UNDER SIEGE The Dixie Chicks - Photo by: AP THE Dixie Chicks say they're in danger of bodily harm from folks who are taking their anti-Bush statements a little too personally. The country trio - who got in hot water three weeks ago for telling a London concert audience they were "embarrassed" that George W. Bush is a fellow Texan - told Australian radio they've been receiving threats and some of their property had been vandalized. "We've gotten a lot of hate mail, a lot of threatening mail," Martie Maguire said Saturday after a gig in Sydney....

www.news8austin.com Lyle Lovett speaks at SXSWUpdated: 3/15/2003 8:50:00 PMBy: News 8 Austin Staff SXSW attendees got a chance to hear Texas native Lyle Lovett's thoughts on musicians and activism. Lyle Lovett   He was one of the featured panelists at an interview conference Saturday. Lovett was asked what he thought about artists taking a public stance on political issues, such as war. "Some people are able to express a valid point of view and bring up aspects of an issue that are worth listening to and need to be heard. But it's certainly not a necessary part of your...