The Dixie Chicks are a multiple Grammy Award-winning country music group, composed of three women: Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, and Emily Robison.Having sold over 36 million albums as of May 2008. RIAA Official Assessment Site Retrieved 9 May, 2008

The group formed in 1989 in Dallas, Texas, and was originally composed of four women performing bluegrass and country music, busking and touring the bluegrass festival circuits and small venues for six years, without attracting a major label. After the departure of one bandmate, the replacement of their lead singer, and a slight change in their repertoire, the Dixie Chicks achieved massive country music and pop success, beginning in 1998 with hit songs like "Wide Open Spaces", "Cowboy Take Me Away", and "Long Time Gone". The women became well-known for their independent spirit and outspoken comments on controversial subjects, including politics.

Ten days before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, lead vocalist Natalie Maines said "We don't want this war, this violence; and, we're ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas", (the Dixie Chicks' home State). The ensuing controversy, by people who supported an invasion and war in Iraq, cost the group half of their concert audience attendance in the United States and led to charges of the three female bandmates being un-American, enduring hate mail, and the destruction of their albums as a protest against the bandmates' comments. As of 2008, they have won thirteen Grammy Awards, with five of them earned in 2007 including the coveted Grammy Award for Album of the Year for Taking The Long Way.

First formation of the band

The Dixie Chicks were founded by bassist Laura Lynch, guitarist Robin Lynn Macy, and the multi-instrumentalist sisters Martie and Emily Erwin in 1989. The Erwin sisters have since married and changed their names. Martie had a short-lived marriage from 1995-1999 during which she was known as Martie Seidel, though in 2001, she remarried and the sisters are now known as Martie Maguire and Emily Robison. Front Page publicity Dixie Chicks The four took their band name from the song "Dixie Chicken" by Lowell George of Little Feat, Tarnow, Noah Dixie Chicks Rolling Stone Magazine; 12/01/98 Issue 801, pg.37 originally playing predominantly bluegrass and a beguiling mix of country standards. All four women played and sang; however, Maguire and Robison provided most of the instrumental firepower for the band while Lynch and Macy leaned more on shared lead vocals. Maguire primarily played fiddle, mandolin, and viola, while Robison's specialties included the five stringed banjo, and dobro.

In 1990, the Dixie Chicks paid $5,000 for a first independent studio album with the name,Thank Heavens for Dale Evans, Brooks, Robert (Retrieved 25 March, 2008) The All-Inclusive Dixie Chicks Timeline named after the pioneering, multi-talented female performer Dale Evans. The album included two instrumental songs showing the group's talents; in 1987, Maguire, (still known then as Martha Erwin) had won second place, and in 1989, third place in the National fiddle championships held in Winfield, Kansas.Walnut Valley Association 1987 and 1989 National fiddle championships in archive Retrieved 2 March, 2008 A Christmas single was released at the end of the year- a 45 rpm vinyl recording named "Home on the Radar Range", with "Christmas Swing" on one side and the song on the flip side in a clever play on words, named "The Flip Side". The record titles were significant; during that period of time, the bandmates dressed up as "cowgirls", and publicity photos reflected this image. However, even with an appearance at the Grand Ole Opry, Dixie Chicks Fans Net with few exceptions, such as Garrison Keillor's radio show, on NPR; A Prarie Home Companion, Clark, Renee Can the Dixie Chicks make it in the big time? Local Heroes (Transcribed from) Dallas Life Magazine, Dallas Morning News, March 1, 1992 Retrieved 23 March, 2008 they didn't get much national airplay.