Sophie Bennett
In March 2003, the American country band the Chicks, then known as the Dixie Chicks, publicly criticised President George W. Bush, triggering a backlash. At a concert in London during their Top of the World Tour, the lead singer, Natalie Maines, said the Dixie Chicks were ashamed that Bush was from their home state of Texas and that they did not support the imminent invasion of Iraq. The Dixie Chicks were one of the most popular American country acts at the time. After the statement was reported by the British newspaper The Guardian, it triggered a backlash from American country listeners, who were mostly right-wing and supported the war.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of incident | March 10, 2003 |
| Location | London |
| Who said it | Natalie Maines, lead singer of the Dixie Chicks |
| What was said | "Just so you know, we're ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas" |
| Who it was said about | George W. Bush |
| Context | The run-up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq |
| Response from Bush | "The Dixie Chicks are free to speak their mind. They can say what they want to say ... They shouldn't have their feelings hurt just because some people don't want to buy their records when they speak out." |
| Response from the public | Backlash, death threats, boycott of their music and concerts, loss of corporate sponsorship |
| Response from the Dixie Chicks | Apology issued a few days later, rescinded in 2006 |
| Documentary | Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing (2006) |
| Albums released after the incident | Taking the Long Way (2006), Gaslighter (2020) |
| Name change | Dropped "Dixie" from their name in 2020, becoming simply "The Chicks" |
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What You'll Learn
The Dixie Chicks' criticism of George W. Bush
In March 2003, the American country band the Chicks, then known as the Dixie Chicks, publicly criticized President George W. Bush, triggering a backlash. At a concert in London during their Top of the World Tour, the lead singer, Natalie Maines, said that the Dixie Chicks were ashamed that Bush was from their home state of Texas and that they did not support the imminent invasion of Iraq. The Dixie Chicks were one of the most popular American country acts at the time.
The statement was reported by the British newspaper The Guardian, which triggered a backlash from American country listeners, who were mostly right-wing and supported the war. The Dixie Chicks were blacklisted by many country radio stations, received death threats, and were dubbed traitors and "Saddam's angels". They also lost corporate sponsorship and sales of their music and concert tickets declined. A few days later, Maines issued an apology, saying her remark had been disrespectful. However, in 2006, she rescinded the apology, saying she felt Bush deserved no respect.
The economic and emotional impact of the backlash on the members of the Chicks was documented in the 2006 documentary Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing. The film captures a scene in which the Chicks' own media handler is counselling Maines not to speak her mind too openly about President Bush in an upcoming interview. The backlash against the Dixie Chicks was also compared to the backlash against John Lennon after he quipped in 1966 that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus.
In response to the controversy, Bush stated that the Dixie Chicks were "free to speak their mind" and that they shouldn't be hurt just because some people didn't want to buy their records. He added that freedom is a two-way street and that he didn't care what they said. On their first show of the American tour after the controversy, Maines wore a T-shirt bearing the words "Dare to Be Free". The Dixie Chicks also released the single "Not Ready to Make Nice" in 2006, which addressed the criticism they received.
The Dixie Chicks' stance on Bush influenced later country artists such as Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, and Kacey Musgraves. The incident also had a lasting impact on country music, with artists becoming more cautious about expressing their political views. Being ""Dixie Chicked" became shorthand for career suicide, and the group's comeback after the controversy was challenging, with some stations still refusing to play their music.
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The backlash against the band
The backlash against the Dixie Chicks was swift and severe. The band's conservative fans were in for a shock. Country radio stations in the U.S. banned their music, and some even rented steamrollers and hosted parties to crush all of the Dixie Chicks' albums into dust. The Dixie Chicks were blacklisted by many country radio stations, received death threats, and were criticised by other country musicians. Sales of their music and concert tickets declined, and they lost corporate sponsorship. They were dubbed traitors and "Saddam's angels".
Some country radio stations grappled with the disconnect between the band's recent mega-popularity and the sudden flood of listener comments. A few programmers wondered if right-wing, pro-war operatives were behind the backlash. Other programmers quickly deleted their songs from playlists. Dale Carter, program director and morning host of KFKF Kansas City, recalled:
> Kansas City is definitely the heart of the Midwest. KFKF is a very patriotic radio station, and the calls came in immediately: 'Get that off the air.'
Mitch Mahan, then program director at WIRK in West Palm Beach, recalled:
> You'd get calls from very angry people every time you would play a Dixie Chicks song—reactionary, violent calls.
The Dixie Chicks were also criticised by other country musicians. Toby Keith responded to Natalie Maines' comment that his hit "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" didn't represent country music.
The band's label, Columbia Records, was also impacted by the controversy, as were the trio's fellow songwriters and the music business in general. Don Ienner, who ascended from Columbia Records' chairman to president of Sony Music, recalled:
> Home was selling millions of albums, the songs were all over country and pop radio, [they had a] sold-out arena tour.
The Dixie Chicks tried to play it off as a joke, creating signs and shirts labelled with "FUDC", which could mean whatever and continued adding to the fire. The Free Republic caused the boycott of the Dixie Chicks concerts, ultimately destroying their tour.
In the face of the backlash, Maines issued an apology a few days later, saying her remark had been disrespectful. However, she rescinded the apology in 2006, saying she felt Bush deserved no respect. The Dixie Chicks released the single "'Not Ready to Make Nice' in 2006, which addressed the criticism. The band's 2006 album "Taking the Long Way" won several Grammys.
The economic and emotional impact of the backlash on the band was documented in the 2006 documentary "Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing". The film captures a scene in which the band's media handler is counselling Maines not to speak her mind too openly about President Bush in an upcoming interview with Diane Sawyer. The television network NBC refused to air a commercial for the documentary, citing a policy against ads dealing with "public controversy". The commercials were also declined by CW. The film's distributor, Harvey Weinstein, said:
> It's a sad commentary about the level of fear in our society that a movie about a group of courageous entertainers who were blacklisted for exercising their right of free speech is now itself being blacklisted by corporate America.
As of 2006, many stations still refused to play the Dixie Chicks. Focus tests by KFKF-FM in Kansas City found that listeners still disliked them; the program director said:
> It's not the music, because we're playing them the hits they used to love.
In 2020, after a 15-year hiatus, the band released a new album, "Gaslighter", and changed their name to "The Chicks", dropping the word "Dixie".
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Bush's response to the controversy
In March 2003, during a concert in London as part of their Top of the World Tour, the Dixie Chicks, and more specifically, lead vocalist Natalie Maines, sparked a controversy by making negative comments about then-President George W. Bush and the imminent Iraq War. Maines told the audience, "We don't want this war, this violence, and we're ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas." This statement caused an uproar, particularly in country music's key Southern US market, where the group's music was banned from some stations, and there were public demonstrations against the band.
At the time of the initial comments, George W. Bush did not respond directly to Natalie Maines' statement. However, the incident did prompt a response from the White House, with then-White House press secretary Ari Fleischer commenting, "The President believes that everyone should feel pride in their country, and that includes the President of the United States." Fleischer's statement implied a gentle rebuke to Maines' remarks, suggesting that her comments were unpatriotic and inappropriate.
While Bush himself did not engage directly with the controversy, it is notable that he did not need to. The intense backlash that the Dixie Chicks experienced, particularly from country music fans and conservative media outlets, spoke volumes about the political climate at the time. The incident occurred just before the US invasion of Iraq, and patriotic sentiment was running high, particularly in the Southern states that formed the core of the Dixie Chicks' fan base. Many saw the group's comments as a betrayal and an insult to the troops who were about to be deployed.
In the years following the incident, Bush alluded to the controversy on a few occasions, always taking a diplomatic approach. For example, in a 2006 interview with USA Today, when asked about the impact of celebrities speaking out against the war, Bush responded, "I think it's perfectly legitimate for people to disagree with my decisions. That's the great thing about America, people are free to express their opinions. I don't question people's patriotism because they disagree with my decisions."
This response was typical of Bush's approach to the issue – acknowledging the right to free speech and disagreement, while also subtly emphasizing the importance of supporting the troops and the country, even if one disagreed with the decisions made by the government. This nuanced stance allowed Bush to address the controversy without directly engaging with the specifics of the Dixie Chicks incident, which by that time had largely faded from the public consciousness.
It's worth noting that the Dixie Chicks themselves did not back down from the controversy, and it became a pivotal moment in their career. They addressed the issue in subsequent concerts, and their 2006 album, "Taking the Long Way," included songs that referenced the incident and its aftermath. The group also leaned into their newfound popularity with more liberal audiences, embracing a more rock-influenced sound and collaborating with artists like Neil Young and Petty. So, while Bush's response was measured and diplomatic, the Dixie Chicks turned the controversy into an opportunity to reinvent their image and connect with a new audience.
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Natalie Maines' apology and retraction
In March 2003, Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks—now known as the Chicks—made a comment onstage in London about being "ashamed" to share their home state of Texas with then-President George W. Bush. The band also stated that they did not support the imminent invasion of Iraq. The resulting backlash was intense and swift. The Dixie Chicks were one of the most popular American country acts at the time, and the comment triggered a strong reaction from American country listeners, who were mostly right-wing and supported the war. The band was blacklisted by many country radio stations, received death threats, and was criticized by other country musicians. Their music and concert ticket sales declined, and they lost corporate sponsorship.
A few days after the comment, Maines issued an apology, saying:
> "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."
However, in May 2006, Maines rescinded her apology, stating:
> "I don't feel that way anymore. I don't feel [Bush] is owed any respect whatsoever."
The backlash and the band's response are documented in the 2006 documentary "Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing." The film captures the emotional and economic impact of the controversy on the band members, including how Maines felt unsafe at home and had to move. It also shows how the band recovered with a 2006 album called "Taking the Long Way" that won several Grammys and how they have since toured successfully. In 2020, the band released a new album titled "Gaslighter" and announced they were changing their name to the Chicks, dropping the word "Dixie."
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The impact on the band's career
In 2003, during a concert in London, Natalie Maines, the lead singer of the Dixie Chicks, made a statement that would drastically impact the band's career. Maines told the audience, "We don't want this war, this violence, and we're ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas." This statement, expressing her disapproval of the impending Iraq War and then-President George W. Bush, a fellow Texan, sparked widespread controversy and had significant repercussions for the band.
The impact on the Dixie Chicks' career was immediate and profound. Many country music fans, particularly those with conservative political leanings, were outraged by Maines' remarks. There was a swift and intense backlash, with some fans boycotting their music, demanding apologies, or even calling for the band to be banned from radio stations and country music venues. The band members received death threats, and their albums were publicly destroyed in protest. The Dixie Chicks also faced a significant amount of criticism and blacklisting within the country music industry, which is predominantly associated with conservative values and patriotism.
The commercial impact was noticeable. Some country music stations, particularly in the band's home state of Texas and across the South, stopped playing their songs, and the band's popularity in these regions took a significant hit. The group's songs were dropped from playlists, and some sponsors withdrew their support. Their album sales declined, and their position on the country music charts suffered. The band also faced challenges in terms of concert attendance, as some fans refused to support them any longer, and there were even protests and threats made against venues that hosted their shows.
However, the controversy also brought an outpouring of support from those who defended the band's right to free speech and agreed with their anti-war stance. Some fans rallied behind the Dixie Chicks, appreciating their honesty and courage to speak out against a controversial war. The band also gained support from liberal and progressive audiences who admired their stance, even if they didn't necessarily align with the country music genre. This new wave of support helped the band maintain their success and reach a wider, more diverse audience.
The Dixie Chicks leaned into this new, more liberal audience, and their music evolved to reflect this shift. Their subsequent albums and performances took on a more rock-influenced sound, and their lyrics continued to address political and social issues. The band also became more outspoken about their political views and used their platform to raise awareness and funds for various causes they supported.
Despite the initial negative impact on their career, the Dixie Chicks remained resilient and unapologetic. They continued to create music, perform, and speak their minds. Over time, the intensity of the controversy faded, and the band was able to rebuild their reputation and reconnect with their fan base. The incident also sparked a broader conversation about the intersection of politics and art, and the Dixie Chicks became a symbol of free speech and artistic expression.
In summary, Natalie Maines' statement about President George W. Bush had a significant and complex impact on the Dixie Chicks' career. While they faced initial backlash and commercial repercussions, particularly within the country music industry, they also gained new supporters, evolved their sound, and became a symbol of free speech. The controversy ultimately contributed to the band's legacy and their ongoing success as outspoken and politically engaged artists.
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Frequently asked questions
On March 10, 2003, the lead singer of the Dixie Chicks, Natalie Maines, told a crowd in London that the band was ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas, referring to George W. Bush. This was during the lead-up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
The comments made by the Dixie Chicks triggered a backlash from American country listeners, who were mostly right-wing and supported the war. The Dixie Chicks were blacklisted by many country radio stations, received death threats, public criticism, and were dubbed traitors and "Saddam's angels." Sales of their music and concert tickets declined, and they lost corporate sponsorship.
Initially, Natalie Maines issued an apology, saying her remark had been disrespectful. However, in 2006, she rescinded the apology, stating that she felt Bush "is not owed any respect whatsoever." The Dixie Chicks also addressed the criticism in their 2006 album "Taking the Long Way" and the single "Not Ready to Make Nice."
