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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forumsa memorial day salute to the Dixie Chicks.
Last edited Mon May 25, 2015, 01:15 PM - Edit history (1)
the Dixie Chicks whose careers were destroyed for speaking truth to power.
the Dixie Chicks who were blackballed by their industry.
Natalie Maines said this at a concert:
Just so you know, were on the good side with yall. We do not want this war, this violence, and were ashamed that the president of the United States is from Texas.
ted nugent said this at a concert:
'Obama, he's a piece of shit, and I told him to suck on my machine gun. Let's hear it for him. And then I was in New York. I said, "Hey, Hillary, you might want to ride one of these into the sunset, you worthless bitch. Since I'm in California, how about [Senator] Barbara Boxer [D-CA], she might want to suck on my machine gun. And [Senator] Dianne Feinstein [D-CA], ride one of these you worthless whore. Any questions?'*
*mr nugent has his own television program and sits on the board of the NRA.
Smarmie Doofus
(14,498 posts)yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)I never understood why they let the message take control of them instead of taking control of the message. Only 50 percent of the country is Republican so at the least they should have continued with what they were doing with the rest of the country. They would still be around today had they just ignored the naysayers instead of letting them win.
Smarmie Doofus
(14,498 posts)I'm not a HUGE country fan... needless to say... but I do like what I like.
One doesn't hear it ( country) in NYC unless one seeks it out.
Made a point of paying attention to the Chicks... thereafter. That kind of guts and integrity COMMANDS attention. And they get it from me.
There's a LOT I don't know about the politics of Nashville. Are they ( the Chicks) really completely untouchable there?
Don't any relatively civilized .... I'm thinking Willie Nelson, Garth Brooks, there are a few others... artists stand up for them?
Call me naive, I guess.
But Hank Williams and Johnny Cash wouldn't stand for that shit.
Or WOULD they?
erronis
(15,303 posts)I bought a couple of their albums. Really pretty good!
I also think that more Americans agreed with the Dixie Chicks than disagreed. I know that Billboard and other "rating agencies" said their sales were down considerably after their embarrassment about gWb being from Texas but I also think that everything in the media is "gamed" now. (Remember payola?)
Hamlette
(15,412 posts)I watch that clip every so often and it always makes me cry.
I never watch award shows but I checked DU the night of those Grammy awards and heard the buzz so ended up watching. It was pretty exciting and even more so, to "watch" it with DU.
If you haven't seen the movie about the whole mess, you should. Shut up and Sing. Over the years I've given away about 5 copies I love the movie so much. It really was an organized right wing hate fest. They couldn't get radio stations to play their music. Even went to hearings in Congress. Check out McCain, on the right side for once. Here's the trailer:
https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?p=movie+about+dixie+chicks&ei=UTF-8&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-001
Finally, listen to the song they wrote about it: Not Ready to Make Nice, even the song makes me cry. Here they are doing it at the Grammys. It is uplifting.
yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)spanone
(135,844 posts)treestar
(82,383 posts)Not normally country fan but I like their music.
calimary
(81,318 posts)Dixie Chicks.
Some of that stuff, though, makes me want to run screaming into the night. Just not into it. And Lord knows I tried. I dated a guy in college who was just bonkers for Hank Williams and "Li'l Audrey" and all that - and I tried. And I failed. Just couldn't take it. It makes my teeth hurt.
treestar
(82,383 posts)Hank Williams. It's amusing for a while but I could never listen to it normally. My dad had an album of his, I remember his face, wearing a cowboy hat was on the front. A drawing with a yellow background. It had I'm So Lonesome I could Cry and Clementine. Blah!
calimary
(81,318 posts)I just find it terribly hard to take.
It's most decidedly not for me.
Katashi_itto
(10,175 posts)Novara
(5,843 posts)For saying what we all felt.
But with Nugent, it's okay, y'all, because of the black Muslim Socialist we voted for, right?
Even though Obama was elected twice, decisively, and Bush was installed by the SCOTUS, and not actually elected.
spanone
(135,844 posts)Last edited Mon May 25, 2015, 01:29 PM - Edit history (1)
the chicks were downright polite compared to that asshole
*edit ...added to original op
lastlib
(23,247 posts)and evades military service by fraudulent means.
Those may be his best qualities.
okaawhatever
(9,462 posts)spanone
(135,844 posts)yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)There are some who will never forgive the Dixie Chicks and their obituaries will be all about this. I don't know why some can get away with things and others can't.
treestar
(82,383 posts)His threats are all for women.
AzDar
(14,023 posts)Happy Memorial Day, Chicks...
cantbeserious
(13,039 posts)eom
Rhythm
(5,435 posts)Beaverhausen
(24,470 posts)demmiblue
(36,865 posts)Achingly beautiful.
Omaha Steve
(99,660 posts)K&R!
spanone
(135,844 posts)valerief
(53,235 posts)kairos12
(12,862 posts)SunSeeker
(51,571 posts)Ford_Prefect
(7,901 posts)Clear Channel executive management engineered much of the backlash against the Dixie Chicks and amplified the public response to them.
Clear Channel was another enabler for the Bush/Cheney war machine. Most people listening to Clear Channel stations have no idea they were part of Rove's Coup.
DinahMoeHum
(21,794 posts). . .from a 2013 article by Saving Country Music.
http://www.savingcountrymusic.com/destroying-the-dixie-chicks-ten-years-after
(snip)
. . .the Dixie Chicks stripped down, acoustic approach dwindled back into obscurity in mainstream country.
When you see bands today like Mumford & Sons, The Lumineers, and The Avett Brothers, you see that the stripped-down, acoustic approach to music is still relevant, if not the most relevant approach today in popular music. But its had to move outside of the country music fold to find a present-day outlet.
(snip)
Country music not only black balled a band that was offering sonic leadership to the genre on how to move forward while still respecting the roots of the music and remaining commercially viable, they lost one of the genres greatest economic engines, and may have long-term fumbled their ability to benefit from the universally-relevant appeal of acoustic roots music.
But most unfortunately, the event leaves country music with a black eye as a genre who cant respect artists regardless of their beliefs. This typecasting of the country music fan as a closed-minded, politically-intolerant animal is a legacy it will take country music a long time to shake. Much longer than 10 years.
(snip)
malaise
(269,054 posts)Thanks for ISIS - we warned you
liberal_at_heart
(12,081 posts)my opinion.
spanone
(135,844 posts)merle haggard:
http://www.thenation.com/blog/173271/ten-years-ago-today-dixie-chick-dared-hit-bush-war-and-hate-campaign-began
Skittles
(153,169 posts)Cha
(297,313 posts)ieoeja
(9,748 posts)First time was for the song Goodbye, Earl. The official reason given was that a woman killing her abusive ex-husband with poisoned black eyed peas was contrary to country music values.
How they managed to make that assertion with a straight face about a song that is a fucking stereotype of country music is beyond me.
A trip into Dixie Chicks history.... Some suits in Nashville saw their popularity and gave them a contract. When they show up to record their first major label album, DC was told, "no steel guitars or banjos," to which the DC reply, "have you even listened to our music?"
This was during the peak of Country Disco which some call line dancing. The industry was trying to expand their audience by turning country music into rock & roll with cowboy hats. The Dixie Chicks were the exact opposite. They played genuine country music while dressing mod.
The Dixie Chicks quickly went on to become the #2 selling entity in Nashville history at the time. This threatened to derail industry plans.
It didn't help that it also made the suits look stupid.