The Chicks, the country music group formerly known as the Dixie Chicks, performed the National Anthem during the final day of the 2020 Democratic National Convention and it was definitely a significant moment.
You might remember that the group caused a ton of controversy back in 2003 when lead singer Natalie Maines told the audience at their London concert that they were “ashamed” that then President George W. Bush was from Texas.
The moment happened just days before the invasion of Iraq, which the band said they did not support. As a result of the comment, the band was blacklisted by thousands of country music stations and they received death threats. Natalie apologized for the remark and said it was disrespectful, but she rescinded the apology three years later and said Bush didn’t deserve respect.
The Chicks made a comeback in 2006 with their song “Not Ready to Make Nice” and they won five Grammys the next year, including Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year.
It’s significant to see the group performing the National Anthem at the DNC as they also performed the song at the Super Bowl in 2003, weeks before the controversy that sidelined their career.
Natalie has been vocal with her criticism of Donald Trump and his administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. She said, “It is crazy that we have a leader that is — I mean, it’s murder… It’s second-degree murder.”
The Chicks dropped brand new music just last month!
