Editing Natalie Maines (section)

== Controversies ==

=== Iraq War criticism and aftermath ===
{{Main|Dixie Chicks comments on George W. Bush}}
On March 10, 2003, nine days before the invasion of Iraq, the Dixie Chicks performed at the [[Shepherd's Bush Empire]] theater in London, England, UK. It was the first concert of their [[Top of the World Tour]] in support of their sixth album, ''[[Home (Dixie Chicks album)|Home]].''<ref name=":7">{{Cite magazine|last=Dansby|first=Andrew|date=March 17, 2003|title=Fans Turn on Dixie Chicks|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/fans-turn-on-dixie-chicks-251772/|access-date=June 14, 2020|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US}}</ref> Introducing their song "[[Travelin' Soldier]]", Maines told the audience the band they did not support the upcoming [[2003 Invasion of Iraq|Allied invasion of Iraq]] and were "ashamed" that [[President George W. Bush]] was from Texas.<ref name="Guardian32">Campbell, Duncan (2003). [https://www.theguardian.com/international/story/0,3604,943170,00.html {{"'}}Dixie sluts' fight on with naked defiance"] ''Guardian Unlimited''. Retrieved April 13, 2006.</ref><ref name="Guardian">{{cite news|last=Clarke|first=Betty|date=March 12, 2003|title="The Dixie Chicks" concert review|newspaper=The Guardian|url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/reviews/story/0,,912236,00.html|access-date=January 22, 2007}}</ref>

Many American country music listeners supported the war, and Maines's remark triggered a backlash in the United States.<ref name="Guardian32" /> The Dixie Chicks were [[Blacklisting|blacklisted]] by thousands of country radio stations,<ref name=":2">{{cite magazine|last=Sachs|first=Andrea|date=May 21, 2006|title=Chicks In the Line of Fire – Printout – TIME|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/printout/0,8816,1196419,00.html|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121206045558/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/printout/0,8816,1196419,00.html|archive-date=December 6, 2012|access-date=December 26, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> and the band members received death threats.<ref>{{cite news|date=April 24, 2003|title=Dixie Chicks 'get death threats'|work=BBC News|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2972043.stm|url-status=live|access-date=March 2, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090829151806/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2972043.stm|archive-date=August 29, 2009}}</ref> Maines issued an apology, saying her remark had been disrespectful; in 2006 she rescinded the apology, saying she felt Bush deserved no respect.<ref name=":2" /> The backlash damaged sales of their music and sales of their next album and tour.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|title=Dixie Chicks: Home|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/dixie-chicks-home/|access-date=June 14, 2020|website=Pitchfork|language=en}}</ref>[[File:Natalie-Maines by Ron Baker 2006.jpg|thumb|Maines performing with the Dixie Chicks during their "[[Accidents & Accusations Tour]]" December 4, 2006]]
At the first US concert after Maines's comment, she said from the stage, "They told me that you may not come, but I knew you'd come because we have the greatest fans in the whole wide world."<ref name="DemocracyNow">Goodman, Amy. (February 15, 2007) [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/15/1528222 "Shut Up And Sing: Dixie Chicks' Big Grammy Win Caps Comeback From Backlash Over Anti-War Stance"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071114015029/http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07%2F02%2F15%2F1528222 |date=November 14, 2007 }} ''Democracy Now!''. Retrieved February 24, 2007.</ref><ref name="Mattingly">Mattingly, David. (May 2, 2003) [http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Music/05/02/dixie.chicks.tour/index.html Fans turn out, cheer Dixie Chicks as U.S. tour opens] CNN. Retrieved March 20, 2007.</ref> Despite fan turnout at concerts, the Dixie Chicks began receiving death threats as circulation of the comment increased. Subsequently, security was heightened at all concert venues and metal detectors were installed where possible.<ref name="Burkeman" /><ref>BBC. (April 24, 2003) [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2972043.stm Dixie Chicks 'get death threats']. Retrieved March 18, 2007.</ref> A death threat directed at Maines was received prior to the Dixie Chicks' concert of July 6, 2003, in [[Dallas, Texas]]. Maines described the threat as "scary because ... it wasn't just somebody wanting to write a hate letter. ... It was somebody who obviously thought they had a plan." Security was heightened for the trip to and from the concert venue as well as at the arena.<ref>Associated Press. (May 11, 2006) [http://www.today.com/id/12745436 Dixie Chicks recall death threat] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613142519/http://www.today.com/id/12745436 |date=June 13, 2020 }} Today.com. Retrieved March 18, 2007.</ref>

On May 21, 2006, while promoting the release of the album ''[[Taking the Long Way]]'', Maines recanted her 2003 apology to President Bush, saying, "I don't feel that way anymore. I don't feel he is owed any respect whatsoever. ... If people are going to ask me to apologize based on who I am ... I don't know what to do about that. I can't change who I am."<ref name="Tryangiel">Tryangiel, Josh. (May 21, 2006) [https://archive.today/20121206045558/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/printout/0,8816,1196419,00.html Chicks In the Line of Fire]. Retrieved March 18, 2007.</ref>

Maines says she is not looking for more battles but that "The Incident," as it is referred to by the Dixie Chicks, reminded her of how she "felt in high school: to be angry, to be sure that you're right and that the things you do matter. You don't realize that you're not feeling those feelings until you do. And then you realize how much more interesting life is."<ref name="Tryangiel" />

Two 2006 documentaries, ''[[Protesting the Dixie Chicks]]'' and ''[[Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing|Shut Up And Sing]]'', deal with the controversy surrounding Maines's comment and the ensuing fallout. In an interview with ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' on June 15, 2006, regarding the fallout from her comment, Maines again stirred up controversy by stating:<blockquote>The entire country may disagree with me, but I don't understand the necessity for patriotism; Why do you have to be a patriot? About what? This land is our land? Why? You can like where you live and like your life, but as for loving the whole country ... I don't see why people care about patriotism.<ref>Sweeting, Adam. (15 June 2006) [https://web.archive.org/web/20060622082458/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2006/06/15/bmdixie15.xml How the Chicks survived their scrap with Bush] ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''. Retrieved 18 March 2007.</ref></blockquote>

In 2007, the Dixie Chicks won three Grammys for "[[Not Ready to Make Nice]]" and two Grammys for ''Taking the Long Way'', receiving all five Grammys for which they were nominated. This was seen by some as vindication for the Dixie Chicks, who were shunned by country radio programmers after Maines's remarks about President Bush. As the Dixie Chicks accepted the album of the year award, Maines said, "I think people are using their freedom of speech with all these awards. We get the message."<ref name="Moody">Moody, Nekesa Mumbi. (February 12, 2007) [http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070212/FEATURES/70212001/1015/FEATURES10 Dixie Chicks lead Grammys with 5 awards] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605040204/http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20070212%2FFEATURES%2F70212001%2F1015%2FFEATURES10 |date=June 5, 2011 }} Associated Press. Retrieved March 18, 2007.</ref>

=== Feud with Toby Keith ===
Maines had a public feud with fellow country music superstar [[Toby Keith]] over the 2002 chart-topping country hit "[[Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue]]", as well as a comment Maines made about U.S. President George W. Bush during a March 2003 Dixie Chicks concert in London.

Maines publicly criticized Keith's song "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" by saying, "I hate it. It's ignorant, and it makes country music sound ignorant. It targets an entire culture—and not just the bad people who did bad things. You've got to have some tact. Anybody can write, 'We'll put a boot in your ass.'"<ref>''LA Daily News''. (August 8, 2002) [http://www.top40-charts.com/news.php?nid=3488 Natalie Maines (Dixie Chick member) Bashes Toby Keith's Patriotic Anthem]. Retrieved March 17, 2007.</ref> Keith responded by belittling Maines's songwriting skills with, "I'll bury her. She has never written anything that has been a hit"<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/6-5-2003-41299.asp | archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20090316001744/http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/6-5-2003-41299.asp | url-status=usurped | archive-date=2009-03-16 | title=Dixie Chicks vs. Toby Keith }}</ref> and, "That's what I do—I write songs."<ref>CMT.com. (December 6, 2002) [https://web.archive.org/web/20040417102749/http://www.cmt.com/artists/news/1459027/12062002/keith_toby.jhtml Toby Keith Reacts to Maines's Comments in Upcoming CMT.com Interview]. Retrieved March 17, 2007.</ref>

After Maines commented at a March 2003 Dixie Chicks concert at the Shepherd's Bush Empire theatre in London that the Dixie Chicks didn't want the [[Iraq War]] and were "ashamed" President Bush "was from Texas", Keith's 2003 "[[Shock'n Y'all]]" tour began displaying a backdrop showing a doctored photo of Maines with Iraqi dictator [[Saddam Hussein]].<ref name="BBCfreshrow">BBC News. (June 3, 2003) [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2958450.stm Fresh Dixie Chicks row erupts]. Retrieved March 17, 2007.</ref> Shortly thereafter, on May 21, 2003, Maines wore a T-shirt with the letters "F.U.T.K." written on the front while performing for the [[Academy of Country Music|Academy of Country Music Awards]] broadcast.<ref name="BBCfreshrow" /> The Dixie Chicks website stated that the letters stood for "Freedom, United, Together in Kindness".<ref>Wolf, Buck. (April 26, 2005) [https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/WolfFiles/story?id=720819 Hilton vs. Richie: When Celebs Duke It Out – 7. Dixie Chicks vs. Toby Keith] ABC News. Retrieved March 20, 2007.</ref> Many in the country music industry saw it as a veiled insult directed at Keith.<ref name="BBCfreshrow" /> The audience at the award show also booed the Dixie Chicks numerous times, the loudest being when their nomination for the Entertainer of the Year award was read out, Toby Keith subsequently won the award. <ref name="BBC Awards">BBC News. (May 22 2003)[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3049209.stm Dixie Chicks booed at music awards]. Retrieved September 19 2024.</ref>

In the 2006 documentary ''[[Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing]]'', backstage footage prior to her appearance wearing the F.U.T.K. shirt recorded the conversation between Maines and Simon Renshaw and confirmed that the original intent of the shirt was in response to Keith's criticism of her: the letters stood for "Fuck You Toby Keith".<ref name="Kopple" /> As of January 2007, Keith continued to refuse to say Maines's name and argues that the doctored photos displayed during his concerts were intended to express his feeling that Maines's criticism was tyrannical and a dictator-like attempt to squelch Keith's free speech.<ref>Guzman, Rafer. (January 28, 2007)
[http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/ny-ettoby0128,0,6077773.story?coll=ny-music-headlines Toby Keith, angry American]. Retrieved March 18, 2007.  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070516110755/http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/ny-ettoby0128%2C0%2C6077773.story?coll=ny-music-headlines |date=May 16, 2007 }}</ref>

=== West Memphis Three lawsuit ===
Maines and other members of The Dixie Chicks participated in a rally in Little Rock, Arkansas, in late 2007, in support of the [[West Memphis Three]], three imprisoned men convicted of the 1993 murder of three young boys in [[West Memphis, Arkansas]].  On August 19, 2011, Maines joined with [[Pearl Jam]] frontman [[Eddie Vedder]] in Jonesboro, Arkansas, supporting the release of the West Memphis Three.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/west-memphis-three-natalie-maines-eddie-vedder-arrive-131002608.html |title=West Memphis Three: Natalie Maines, Eddie Vedder Arrive at Court (Report) |date=August 19, 2011 |publisher=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date= September 22, 2020}}</ref>