G
Gandalf Grey
Guest
Vindication: Dixie Chicks dominate the Grammys
By Dennis Rahkonen
Created Feb 12 2007 - 9:19am
Once upon a time, an enormously talented trio of young, female musicians
from Texas ruled country radio's airwaves.
Their innovative, exciting songs had brought welcome vibrancy to a staid,
formulaic genre, and audiences responded with enthusiasm. The Dixie Chicks
were the biggest thing since Garth Brooks, possessing equal crossover appeal
that assured chart-topping hits and sold-out concert venues not just in the
United States, but around the world.
It was at one such concert in London, in 2003, that Natalie Maines, the
group's lead singer, manifested a degree of political moxy that proved the
Dixie Chicks were country artists of a truly different stripe.
Responding to the outrages of the Bush administration, particularly its
incessant warmongering, Ms. Maines proclaimed that she was ashamed to share
Texas residency with the man who, in time, virtually all of us would finally
have to concede is the worst President America has ever known.
What followed was a punishment of epic proportions.
Country music's reactionary, uber-patriotic base abruptly turned on the
group that had, just the day before, been its darlings. The worst U.S.
blacklist/boycott since the McCarthy era came down hard on the Dixie Chicks.
Country radio stations across the land refused to play their work. Their
videos disappeared from music television's programming. Natalie Maines
became the new Jane Fonda to right-wing talk broadcasters.
Hatred snowballed, eventually leading to death threats.
Through it all, the Dixie Chicks persevered, enduring a stinging,
potentially career-killing backlash of the terrible sort that took so many
progressive entertainers from glorious fame to utter obscurity during the
Cold War Fifties.
They remained strong. They kept making great music.
Meanwhile, George Bush's escalating villainy came to so offend the American
public, including many country fans who originally boycotted the Dixie
Chicks, that his popularity sank to unprecedented, abysmal levels.
Times were changing.
Then, in 2006, the Dixie Chicks released a magnificent piece of music, and a
stunning video, "Not Ready to Make Nice," which was a fierce reiteration of
their defiance, tinged with awareness that history was about to absolve
them. It went to VH1's number one spot, and remained there much longer than
any other previous video.
At the 2007 Grammy Awards, honoring the best in recorded music, "Not Ready
to Make Nice" garnered Song of the Year and Record of the Year recognition.
Their "Taking the Long Way" was named Album of the Year (as well as Country
Album of the Year).
Their repeated trips to the podium to accept the award show's trademark
gramophone statuettes were greeted with not only applause and cheers, but
clenched fists and peace signs as well.
Three women from Texas, who spoke truth to power and would not knuckle
under, are heroes and role models for us all.
If each of us takes just a part of their strength to fight on for what's
right and just, our collective power to realize change will be unstoppable.
We'll go on to live in a far better world where, among other things, good
people with kind hearts will appreciatively smile whenever anyone mentions
the gifted, courageous singers and players who helped take us to the wide
open spaces of fresh possibility.
Natalie, Emily, and Martie...thanks.
We're forever indebted.
_______
--
NOTICE: This post contains copyrighted material the use of which has not
always been authorized by the copyright owner. I am making such material
available to advance understanding of
political, human rights, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues. I
believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of such copyrighted material as
provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright
Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107
"A little patience and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their
spells dissolve, and the people recovering their true sight, restore their
government to its true principles. It is true that in the meantime we are
suffering deeply in spirit,
and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous public
debt. But if the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have
patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning
back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are at
stake."
-Thomas Jefferson
By Dennis Rahkonen
Created Feb 12 2007 - 9:19am
Once upon a time, an enormously talented trio of young, female musicians
from Texas ruled country radio's airwaves.
Their innovative, exciting songs had brought welcome vibrancy to a staid,
formulaic genre, and audiences responded with enthusiasm. The Dixie Chicks
were the biggest thing since Garth Brooks, possessing equal crossover appeal
that assured chart-topping hits and sold-out concert venues not just in the
United States, but around the world.
It was at one such concert in London, in 2003, that Natalie Maines, the
group's lead singer, manifested a degree of political moxy that proved the
Dixie Chicks were country artists of a truly different stripe.
Responding to the outrages of the Bush administration, particularly its
incessant warmongering, Ms. Maines proclaimed that she was ashamed to share
Texas residency with the man who, in time, virtually all of us would finally
have to concede is the worst President America has ever known.
What followed was a punishment of epic proportions.
Country music's reactionary, uber-patriotic base abruptly turned on the
group that had, just the day before, been its darlings. The worst U.S.
blacklist/boycott since the McCarthy era came down hard on the Dixie Chicks.
Country radio stations across the land refused to play their work. Their
videos disappeared from music television's programming. Natalie Maines
became the new Jane Fonda to right-wing talk broadcasters.
Hatred snowballed, eventually leading to death threats.
Through it all, the Dixie Chicks persevered, enduring a stinging,
potentially career-killing backlash of the terrible sort that took so many
progressive entertainers from glorious fame to utter obscurity during the
Cold War Fifties.
They remained strong. They kept making great music.
Meanwhile, George Bush's escalating villainy came to so offend the American
public, including many country fans who originally boycotted the Dixie
Chicks, that his popularity sank to unprecedented, abysmal levels.
Times were changing.
Then, in 2006, the Dixie Chicks released a magnificent piece of music, and a
stunning video, "Not Ready to Make Nice," which was a fierce reiteration of
their defiance, tinged with awareness that history was about to absolve
them. It went to VH1's number one spot, and remained there much longer than
any other previous video.
At the 2007 Grammy Awards, honoring the best in recorded music, "Not Ready
to Make Nice" garnered Song of the Year and Record of the Year recognition.
Their "Taking the Long Way" was named Album of the Year (as well as Country
Album of the Year).
Their repeated trips to the podium to accept the award show's trademark
gramophone statuettes were greeted with not only applause and cheers, but
clenched fists and peace signs as well.
Three women from Texas, who spoke truth to power and would not knuckle
under, are heroes and role models for us all.
If each of us takes just a part of their strength to fight on for what's
right and just, our collective power to realize change will be unstoppable.
We'll go on to live in a far better world where, among other things, good
people with kind hearts will appreciatively smile whenever anyone mentions
the gifted, courageous singers and players who helped take us to the wide
open spaces of fresh possibility.
Natalie, Emily, and Martie...thanks.
We're forever indebted.
_______
--
NOTICE: This post contains copyrighted material the use of which has not
always been authorized by the copyright owner. I am making such material
available to advance understanding of
political, human rights, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues. I
believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of such copyrighted material as
provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright
Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107
"A little patience and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their
spells dissolve, and the people recovering their true sight, restore their
government to its true principles. It is true that in the meantime we are
suffering deeply in spirit,
and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous public
debt. But if the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have
patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning
back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are at
stake."
-Thomas Jefferson