The Dixie Chicks as we know them today has consisted of Natalie Maines (lead vocals, guitar) and sisters Martie Maguire (vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar) and Emily Strayer (vocals, guitar, banjo, Dobro). Maguire and Strayer founded the band in 1989 in Dallas, Texas. Within a year of Natalie joining The Chicks in 1995, Sony Music came to Austin to see The Dixie Chicks. That’s when they committed to signing them to a long-term deal. And that’s when The Chicks were selected as the first new artist on the newly revived Monument Records label.
The Chicks in The Late 90s
In October of 1997, Sony Music released to country radio The Dixie Chicks, “I Can Love You Better”. The song peaked in the top 10. There was something special about what The Chicks were doing in the late 90s. Other than male artists like George Strait, Alan Jackson, and Clint Black, there was no artist using Banjo, Fiddle, and Steel Guitar in the music. Country music was making a turn to a more mainstream sound.
Country Music was about to see something it’s never to this point in history. A Female Country music Band! January 23, 1998, The Album “Wide Open Spaces” was released. By February 2003, the album had shipped over 13 Million albums worldwide. Following the success of “I Can Love You Better”, The number-one songs started rolling in. “There’s Your Trouble”, “Wide Open Spaces, “You Were Mine” and “Tonight The Heart Aches On Me” are all number-one songs.
Another Album
In 1999, they released “Fly”. It sold 10 million albums and had 8 songs to be released to country radio. And they had 4 number-one songs and 4 top 10’s. In August of 2002, Home was released which saw The Chicks have 3 more million albums sold, 5 more songs to country radio, and more number-one songs.
The chicks have gone on and to this date still make new music and sell-out shows all across the world. Their hard-kicking country and bluegrass roots will never be repeated again. This was a once-in-a-lifetime kinda deal for Country music.
The Success
- 8 ACM Awards, Including Entertainer Of The Year
- 4 American Music Awards
- 7 Billboard Music Awards
- 10 CMA Awards, including Entertainer of The Year Twice
- 4 CMT Awards
- 13 Grammy Awards
- 33 Million Albums Sold World Wide.
- 6 Number one songs
- Over 100 Million Dollars in Concert Ticket sales
The Chicks still sell out concert venues world wide and make new music. Let’s take a look back on the songs that made The Chicks famous!