Lucas Delgado
Country music stars Toby Keith and The Chicks (formerly the Dixie Chicks) were involved in a highly publicised feud in the early 2000s. The dispute was sparked by comments made by the band's lead singer, Natalie Maines, criticising Keith's song Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American), which glorified war and violence in the name of American freedom. Maines, who represented the liberal side of country music, also clashed with Keith over his support for the Iraq War and President George W. Bush. The feud included retaliatory stunts and eventually fizzled out in 2003, with Keith announcing he was done with it after a personal tragedy.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for the feud | Toby Keith's song "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)" |
| Natalie Maines' criticism of Keith's support of the Iraq War and President George W. Bush | |
| Maines' statement that she was ashamed to be from the same state as Bush | |
| Actions during the feud | Maines wore a shirt with "F.U.T.K." at the 2003 Academy of Country Music Awards |
| The Dixie Chicks posed nude with paint spelling out "big mouth" and "traitors" on the cover of Entertainment Weekly | |
| Keith displayed a photoshopped backdrop of Maines with Saddam Hussein during his tour | |
| Outcome of the feud | The Dixie Chicks were blacklisted from numerous country radio stations and their record sales dropped |
| Keith ended the feud in 2003 after a band member lost their toddler to cancer |
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What You'll Learn
- Natalie Maines criticised Toby Keith's song Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)
- Maines wore a shirt with F.U.T.K. at the 2003 Academy of Country Music Awards
- Toby Keith responded to Maines' comments and dismissed her opinion
- The Dixie Chicks posed nude on the cover of Entertainment Weekly with paint spelling out big mouth and traitors
- The feud ended in 2003 when Toby Keith said, Enough is enough
Natalie Maines criticised Toby Keith's song Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)
In 2002, Natalie Maines, the lead singer of The Chicks (formerly the Dixie Chicks), publicly criticised Toby Keith's song "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)". The song was written shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and Keith's veteran father's death. In it, Keith made his beliefs about how the military should respond clear, singing:
> "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".
Maines told the Los Angeles Daily News that she ""hated" the song, believing it to be ""ignorant" and making "country music sound ignorant". She also criticised Keith's support of the Iraq War and President George W. Bush. In an interview with the newspaper, she said:
> "It targets an entire culture, and not just the bad people who did bad things. You've got to have some tact. Anybody can write, 'We'll put a boot in your ass.' The kind of songs I prefer on the subject are like Bruce Springsteen's new songs [which appeared on his more meditative post-9/11 album The Rising]".
Maines's comments sparked a feud between the two artists, with Keith responding by displaying a photoshopped image of Maines with then-Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein during his concerts. The Dixie Chicks also faced backlash for their comments, with their music boycotted and banned from radio stations. Despite the controversy, the band stood by their beliefs and continued to express their political views.
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Maines wore a shirt with F.U.T.K. at the 2003 Academy of Country Music Awards
The Dixie Chicks, a country band, and Toby Keith, a country singer, were involved in a highly publicized feud in the early 2000s. The feud was sparked by Keith's song "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)," which glorified war and violence in the name of American freedom. Lead singer of the Dixie Chicks, Natalie Maines, publicly criticized the song and Keith's support of the Iraq War and President George W. Bush.
In March 2003, during a Dixie Chicks concert in London, Maines commented that the band didn't want the Iraq War and was "ashamed" that President Bush "was from Texas". This comment led to a significant backlash for the band, including blacklisting by country radio programmers and death threats. In response to Maines' comment, Keith's 2003 "Shock'n Y'all" tour began displaying a backdrop showing a doctored photo of Maines with Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
At the 2003 Academy of Country Music Awards, Maines wore a shirt with the acronym "F.U.T.K." on it. The Dixie Chicks initially claimed that the acronym stood for "Friends United Together in Kindness" or "Freedom, Understanding, Truth and Knowledge." However, in their documentary "Shut Up & Sing," Maines confirmed that the letters actually meant "F* U Toby Keith." This incident occurred during a public display of the feud between Maines and Keith, as both were nominated for Entertainer of the Year at the awards show. The audience at the show booed the Dixie Chicks, especially when their nomination for Entertainer of the Year was read out. Toby Keith ultimately won the award.
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Toby Keith responded to Maines' comments and dismissed her opinion
The feud between Toby Keith and The Chicks (formerly the Dixie Chicks) was sparked by Natalie Maines' criticism of Keith's song "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)", which she deemed “ignorant”. Maines, the lead singer of The Chicks, publicly voiced her disapproval of the song's message and its glorification of war and violence in the name of American freedom.
In response to Maines' comments, Toby Keith dismissed her opinion, arguing that as someone who was not a songwriter herself, her critique of his artistic work held less value. He compared her opinion to that of a person experiencing homelessness, implying that only those with firsthand experience in songwriting had the right to judge.
Keith further retaliated by displaying a doctored photo of Maines with Saddam Hussein at his concerts, a move that was widely seen as a brutal rejoinder. This action escalated the feud, with The Chicks responding in kind. At the 2003 Academy of Country Music Awards, Maines wore a shirt with the acronym "F.U.T.K.", which many interpreted as standing for "F* You Toby Keith".
The feud between the two artists became highly publicized and emblematic of the political divide within the country music community. While Keith represented a staunchly patriotic wing of country music, The Chicks embodied the liberal side, unafraid to speak out against wars and certain political figures. Despite the intensity of their dispute, it ultimately came to an end when Keith decided to step back after a personal tragedy involving the illness of a band member's child.
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The Dixie Chicks posed nude on the cover of Entertainment Weekly with paint spelling out big mouth and traitors
The Dixie Chicks, a country band, sparked controversy in 2003 when lead singer Natalie Maines criticized fellow country artist Toby Keith's support of the Iraq War and President George W. Bush. The Dixie Chicks' comments, made overseas in London, led to a backlash, including radio stations banning their music and staging rallies to steamroll their albums. Many country music fans perceived the band's statements as unpatriotic, and they faced intense criticism, with some even receiving personal threats.
In response to the backlash, the Dixie Chicks posed nude for the cover of Entertainment Weekly on May 2, 2003, with paint on their bodies spelling out "big mouth," "traitors," "Dixie Sluts," and "Sadaam's Angels." The labels came from emails, media reports, and hate mail the band received. The cover story, titled "The Dixie Chicks Come Clean," addressed the band's critics and the fallout from the scandals, which brought their career in country music to a halt. The nude cover shoot was a bold statement and a defiant response to their critics, reflecting the band's attitude towards crisis management at the time.
The feud between Toby Keith and the Dixie Chicks eventually fizzled out when Keith announced he was done with it, citing the insignificance of the feud in comparison to his friend's child battling cancer. The Dixie Chicks released their single "Not Ready To Make Nice" in 2006, addressing the backlash they received but not directly mentioning the controversy with Keith. Despite the controversies, both parties moved on and continued their music careers, with the Dixie Chicks releasing new music and performing at the Democratic National Convention in 2020.
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The feud ended in 2003 when Toby Keith said, Enough is enough
The feud between Toby Keith and The Chicks (formerly the Dixie Chicks) began in 2002, following the release of Keith's song "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)", which glorified war and violence in the name of American freedom. The song was written in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the death of his veteran father. However, Natalie Maines, the lead singer of The Chicks, publicly criticised the song, calling it "ignorant". She also expressed her opposition to the Iraq War and President George W. Bush, stating that she was ashamed that they shared a home state.
In response to Maines' comments, Keith displayed a photoshopped image of Maines with Saddam Hussein during his concerts. Additionally, at the 2003 Academy of Country Music Awards, Maines wore a shirt with the acronym "F.U.T.K.", which was believed to stand for "F* You Toby Keith". The feud escalated, and The Chicks were blacklisted from country radio stations, with their music boycotted and record sales dropping. They also received death threats.
However, in 2003, the feud came to an end when Toby Keith experienced a change of heart. In an interview with Contact Music, Keith announced that he was ending the feud, stating, "Enough is enough." The reason for his change of heart was a recent personal tragedy—the loss of a band member's toddler to cancer. He felt that the feud seemed insignificant in light of this tragedy. Reflecting on the feud, Keith expressed disappointment in himself for engaging in such behaviour and recognised that it had gotten pretty vicious.
Following the end of the feud, The Chicks returned with their single "Not Ready To Make Nice" in 2006, addressing the backlash they received without directly mentioning the controversy with Keith. Both parties moved on, with Keith releasing more studio albums and The Chicks continuing to create music and perform at events like the Democratic National Convention in 2020.
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Frequently asked questions
The feud was caused by Natalie Maines, the lead singer of the Dixie Chicks, criticising Toby Keith's song "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)" and his support of the Iraq War and President George W. Bush.
Natalie Maines told the Los Angeles Daily News in 2002 that she hated the song, calling it ignorant and saying it made "country music sound ignorant".
While Keith didn't respond directly to Maines' comments, he told CMT.com that he was defensive when people attacked his composition. He also dismissed her opinion, saying that she was "not a songwriter".
During a tour to support his 2003 album, Keith displayed a photoshopped backdrop behind the stage depicting Maines with then-Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. In retaliation, the Dixie Chicks appeared nude on the cover of Entertainment Weekly, covered in paint spelling out words like "big mouth" and "traitors". Maines also wore a shirt with "F.U.T.K." onstage at the 2003 Academy of Country Music Awards, which many took to mean "F* You Toby Keith".
The feud ended abruptly in 2003 when Toby Keith announced he was done with it after one of his band members lost their toddler to cancer.
