Natalie Maines and the Dixie Chicks

This is not news. I have no special news about The Dixie Chicks. Well, one of them is coming out with a solo album, I read that but it's all I know. Natalie got a haircut. I don't consider that news.
We recently watched the DVD documentary "Shut Up and Sing" which is all about what happened to the Dixie Chicks when Natalie made an offhand political remark between songs at a concert. The repercussions of which went on to more or less ruin an otherwise stellar career. As remarks go, in my book it was really benign, pretty mild really. It happened to be in favor of peace, and it was a critique of a president who went on to become the least popular president in US history. You probably won't have to look up who that is. Natalie apologized within a few days of the remark but it was apparently too late, or not enough, or something. Country radio stations abandoned them, refused to play their music . . . they still won several Grammies with the next album, still had good concert attendance, but we looked around to see what they are up to since 2006 and can't easily find anything, though I'm sure they have kept busy, have full and happy lives and all that. They were at the top of their game though.

From the official Dixie Chicks website: "Dixie Chicks are the highest selling female group in any genre. They hold the distinction of being the only country group in history and the only female group of any genre to earn back-to-back Diamond Awards signifying 10 million in record sales. . . The “Top Of The World Tour” kicked off in the U.S. May 2003. The tour set a record for the highest one-day sales in Ticketmaster history. Taking in more than $62 million, the tour ended not only as the top country tour of the year but also as the best country one-year gross ever."

As far as country music success in sales however, it was all downhill from there, just because of a single remark.

So, speaking for myself, I've never really gotten any flack from any outrageous thing I've said except for "peace on earth." I wrote about that in a prior post. By the way, Merle Haggard is in favor of peace too. And even though he has written and published anti-war tunes he has never been boycotted by country radio, or the CMA awards, or anything like that. He even came out in support of the Dixie Chicks at that time. Double standard?

Anyway by the time I got to the end of the documentary I was really impressed with both Natalie Maines, and the Dixie Chicks. Even though they are a pretty extreme example, I kind of relate to them. I don't always do or say what people expect me to. I sometimes voice unpopular opinions. Once in a while I worry or self-censor because of what people might think-- and I don't have millions of people watching what I say. I'm working on that. Odd thing though, some people have made themselves hugely rich by shooting their mouths off in the most controversial way, over and over again. Go figure.