The Chicks: The Name Change and Legacy

Politics

Jul 16

In the early 2000’s, The Chicks were infamous. At the time, the country trio was known as “The Dixie Chicks” and were wildly famous across the country music sphere. However, in 2003, they quickly became notorious for a remark made by singer Natalie Maines at a London concert.

Maines, one of the band’s lead singers, expressed her distaste for the then-President of the United States, George W. Bush. She explained how she was “ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas” and, while the crowd in London initially cheered, the American backlash was almost immediate. Country music radio stations refused to play The Chicks’ music and uber-patriotic country fans were quick to publicly destroy their albums and merchandise. The band was blacklisted from the country community and fell from their reigning positioning top of the charts.

However, this didn’t stop Maines and her bandmates - Emily Strayer and Martie Maguire - from continuing to speak out on their political positions. Between 1992 and 2007, Maines donated almost $7,000 to Democratic politicians and causes, including Barack Obama’s 2008 endeavors. In 2016, Natalie Maines was largely outspoken about her disliking of Donald Trump and some of his Republican counterparts, such as Ted Cruz. And, in 2020, the band sang the National Anthem at the Democratic National Convention. Despite their mainstream country base being largely conservative, the band has consistently stood up for what they believe in. No matter the outrage.

The Chicks have continued this trend with their recent name change - from “The Dixie Chicks” to simply “The Chicks”. The shift occurred last year and has been gaining attention within the country and wider music communities. Though the band didn’t officially disclose their reasons for changing their name, the historical connotations associated with “Dixie” are clear. The term was used for Confederate states in the Southern US during the American Civil War and long before the United States’ abolishment of slavery. When the band was asked their thoughts on those who disagreed with the name change - and potentially support the former Confederacy and its racism - Martie Maguire responded, “We don’t really care.”

Though not the intention behind the name change, The Chicks have recently gained some attention, allowing them to re-enter the popular music sphere after being blacklisted for years. And, other bands and country artists have begun to follow suit. Recognition for the racist terminology in country music has attracted attention, pushing bands like Lady A to change their names as well. Formerly “Lady Antebellum”, Lady A decided to remove “Antebellum” from their name, as it also refers to a period during the American Civil War. Therefore, the term holds racist historical significance for many Americans. Though it has caused some legal issues for the band, Lady A also stands by their decision..

Now, both Lady A and The Chicks are using their influence to push awareness and accountability within the mainstream country music industry and culture. There is no doubt that The Chicks will continue to take a stand, outrage or not.

Sources:

https://tasteofcountry.com/natalie-maines-dixie-chicks-bush-controversy/

https://globalnews.ca/news/7206028/the-chicks-andy-cohen-wwhl-name-change/