Emily Carter
The feud between Toby Keith and The Dixie Chicks (formerly The Chicks) began in 2003 when lead singer Natalie Maines publicly criticized Keith's song Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (the Angry American), which she called ignorant. The song, written after the September 11, 2001 attacks, contained patriotic lyrics that Maines felt portrayed country music in a negative light. In response, Keith derided Maines' songwriting skills and displayed a doctored photo of her with Saddam Hussein at his concerts. The feud escalated with retaliatory actions from both parties, including Maines wearing a FUTK shirt, which was seen as a jab at Keith. It abruptly ended in 2003 when a tragedy struck Keith's band, causing him to reconsider his involvement in the feud. Despite the controversy, both parties went on to have successful music careers, and Keith passed away in 2024 at the age of 62.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of feud | 2003 |
| Reason for the feud | Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks criticised Toby Keith's song "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (the Angry American)" |
| Other reasons | Maines' comments about President Bush and the Iraq War |
| Maines' exact words | "We do not want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas." |
| Keith's response | Displayed a doctored photo of Maines next to Saddam Hussein at his concerts |
| Dixie Chicks' response | Maines wore a T-shirt with the letters "FUTK" |
| Feud ended | Yes, in 2003 |
| Reason for ending | A member of Keith's band lost their 2-year-old daughter to cancer |
| Year Keith passed away | 2024 |
| Age | 62 |
| Cause of death | Stomach cancer |
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What You'll Learn
Natalie Maines' comments about President Bush and the Iraq War
On March 10, 2003, Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks (now the Chicks) made a comment about President Bush and the Iraq War that sparked a feud with country music artist Toby Keith. While performing at the Shepherd's Bush Empire theatre in London, England, Maines told the audience:
> Just so you know, we're on the good side with y'all. We do not want this war, this violence, and we're ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas.
Maines' comments were met with a swift and severe backlash, including boycotts from listeners and radio stations pulling their music or banning them from the air. The Dixie Chicks were blacklisted by many country radio stations, and their singles dropped in the charts. Maines' comments also led to her being criticised by Keith, who was a staunch supporter of the war and the president. He displayed a doctored photo of Maines next to Saddam Hussein at his concerts, which led to Maines wearing a T-shirt with the letters "FUTK" at the Academy of Country Music Awards, which many interpreted as "Fuck You Toby Keith".
The feud between Maines and Keith ended abruptly in 2003 after a member of Keith's band lost their young daughter to cancer. Keith reflected on the tragedy and decided to end the feud, stating that it seemed "so insignificant".
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Toby Keith's patriotism and support for the war
Country music superstar Toby Keith embodied patriotism and support for the war in his songs and performances. His career was marked by a fierce patriotism that shone through in his music, especially after 9/11. Notably, he wrote and performed songs dedicated to the troops and 9/11: "American Soldier" and "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)".
"Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue", released in 2002, was a reaction to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The song's lyrics were controversial, threatening America's terrorist foes: "we'll stick a boot in your ass". The song brought him a lot of attention and criticism, with some calling him a "redneck" and "right-winger". However, Keith embraced the label of a "redneck patriot", telling Time magazine in 2004: "I'm OK with that".
In addition to his songs, Keith expressed his patriotism through his support for the troops. He performed for more than 250,000 troops in 17 countries over two decades. He also met troops on USO Tours and supported the USO, a nonprofit organisation that provides welfare services to serving troops.
Keith's patriotism and support for the war were not limited to his music and performances. He publicly endorsed President George W. Bush and the Iraq War. In fact, his feud with Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks began over comments she made about Bush and the Iraq War. While Keith supported the war, he did express some nuanced views, saying: "Our troops had to move on into Iraq. Our government asked them to go do it for whatever reason. We won't know for probably 20 or 30 years whether it was the right thing to do or not."
Despite his strong views, Keith ultimately ended the feud with Maines and the Dixie Chicks in 2003 after a tragedy struck his band. The feud ended when a band member lost their two-year-old daughter to cancer. Reflecting on the incident, Keith said, "I saw a picture [...] of me and Natalie and it said, 'Fight to the Death' or something. It seemed so insignificant. I said, 'Enough is enough.'".
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Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (Angry American)
In 2002, country music star Toby Keith released "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (the Angry American)," a song inspired by the death of his father in March 2001 and the September 11, 2001 attacks. The song, which went to the top of the Country Billboard Charts, was geared towards the terrorists responsible for the attacks and included the lyrics, “And you’ll be sorry that you messed with the U.S. of A. / Cause we’ll put a boot in your ass, it’s the American way.”
Natalie Maines, the lead singer of the Dixie Chicks, was outspoken against the Iraq War and former President Bush. In London, just before the start of the war, Maines claimed that she was “ashamed” to be from the same state as Bush. She said, “We do not want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas.” These comments sparked a downward spiral for the Dixie Chicks’ career, as they were boycotted by listeners and radio stations, and even blacklisted in country circles.
Maines also publicly criticized Keith's song "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (the Angry American)," stating that the lyrics made country music sound "ignorant." In response, Keith displayed a doctored photo of Maines with Saddam Hussein as a backdrop at his concerts. Maines then fired back by wearing a T-shirt with the letters "FUTK" at the Academy of Country Music Awards, which many interpreted as a jab at Keith. The Dixie Chicks also posed nude on the cover of Entertainment Weekly, with their bodies displaying phrases like “Boycott”, “Opinionated”, and “Proud Americans”. Despite the backlash, the group stood by their beliefs and refused to apologize, and they even became Billboard's top-selling country tour in 2003.
The feud between Keith and Maines eventually fizzled out, with Keith announcing he was done with it after watching a friend go through their child's cancer battle. In 2006, the Dixie Chicks released the single "Not Ready To Make Nice," which addressed the backlash they received but did not directly mention the controversy with Keith.
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The Dixie Chicks' blacklisting in country circles
The Dixie Chicks, now known as The Chicks, were involved in a public feud with country music star Toby Keith, which ultimately led to their music being blacklisted in country circles. The controversy began when lead singer Natalie Maines criticised Keith's song "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (the Angry American)", which was released after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Maines called the song "'ignorant", and this sparked a back-and-forth between the two acts, with Keith responding by displaying a doctored photo of Maines with Saddam Hussein at his concerts.
The feud escalated when, in 2003, Maines made comments about then-President Bush and the Iraq War. Speaking in London, Maines said she was "ashamed" that Bush was from the same state as her, Texas. These comments caused a downward spiral in the Dixie Chicks' career, as they were boycotted by listeners and radio stations pulled their music or banned them completely from the air. The group doubled down on their beliefs and refused to apologise, even appearing nude on the cover of Entertainment Weekly with phrases like "Boycott" and "Opinionated" painted on their bodies. Despite the backlash, they became Billboard's top-selling country tour in 2003, partially due to their defiance.
The Dixie Chicks continued to face backlash for their comments, with some accusing them of being soft on terrorism and traitors. They received violent threats, and former fans turned on them, labelling them with derogatory terms. The group addressed the backlash in their 2006 single "Not Ready To Make Nice", which won three Grammy Awards. The song did not directly mention the controversy with Keith, but it made clear that the group stood by their beliefs.
The feud with Keith eventually ended in 2003 when a member of his band lost their young daughter to cancer. Keith reflected on the tragedy and decided to end the feud, stating that it seemed "so insignificant" in light of what his bandmate was going through. While the Dixie Chicks experienced a negative impact on their career due to the controversy, they remained steadfast in their opinions and continued to create music, returning with a new album in 2020.
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Toby Keith's feud-ending decision
The feud between Toby Keith and the Dixie Chicks (now known as The Chicks) began in 2003, when the group's lead singer, Natalie Maines, publicly criticised Keith's song "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (the Angry American)", which she believed portrayed country music as "ignorant". Maines also made comments about then-President Bush and the Iraq War, stating that she was “ashamed” that both she and the president were from Texas.
Keith, a staunch supporter of the war and the president, responded by deriding Maines' songwriting skills and displaying a doctored photo of her with Saddam Hussein as a backdrop at his concerts. The feud escalated, with the Dixie Chicks posing nude on the cover of Entertainment Weekly, with their bodies displaying words like "traitors" and "ashamed". Despite the controversy, the group stood by their beliefs and refused to apologise, even as their music was boycotted and banned by radio stations.
However, the feud came to an abrupt end in 2003 when a member of Keith's band lost their two-year-old daughter to cancer. This tragedy caused Keith to reconsider his actions, and he decided to end the feud. He stated that witnessing his friend's child's cancer battle made him realise the insignificance of the feud, and that he never bashed another artist out of jealousy or any other reason.
Following the feud, both parties moved on with their respective careers. The Dixie Chicks released a single, "Not Ready To Make Nice", which addressed the backlash they received but did not directly mention the controversy with Keith. The song won three Grammy Awards. Meanwhile, Keith released numerous studio albums and received the National Medal of the Arts from former President Trump in 2021.
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Frequently asked questions
The feud started when Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks publicly criticised Toby Keith's song "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (the Angry American)", which she called "ignorant".
The song, written by Keith after the death of his father and the September 11, 2001 attacks, expressed fervent patriotism and was geared toward the terrorists responsible for the attacks.
Keith responded by deriding Maines' songwriting skills and displaying a doctored photo of her with Saddam Hussein as a backdrop at his concerts.
The Dixie Chicks responded by appearing nude on the cover of Entertainment Weekly, covered in paint spelling out words like "boycott", "opinionated", "big mouth", "traitors", and "proud Americans". Maines also wore a homemade T-shirt on tour and to the Academy of Country Music Awards spelling out "FUTK", which many saw as a jab at Keith.
The feud ended abruptly in 2003 when a member of Keith's band lost their 2-year-old daughter to cancer. Keith, reflecting on the tragedy, decided to end the feud, stating that it seemed "so insignificant".
