Dixie Chicks Sweep Grammy Awards Ceremony but Natalie Maines is Still on the Political Hot-Plate

An estimated 20.1 million people watched the Dixie Chicks' live performance at the 29^th Annual Grammy Awards on February 11, but the audience wasn't just clapping for the dazzling vocals of the live show piece.

Fans watched in awe as the Dixie Chicks scooped up five out of the five awards they were nominated for. Included in their repertoire of wins were the awards the music industry refers to as the "big three": Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year. In addition, the Dixie Chicks' took home the awards for Best Country Album and Best Country Performance By a Duo or Group.

The Dixie Chicks started out with sisters Martie and Emily Erwin in 1989. Later, they invited Natalie Maines to front the band and the rest is country music history. Their major label debut, 1997's Wide Open Spaces, sold 12 million copies. Now, less than a decade later, the Chicks stunned the Grammy community with Tuesday night's sweeping wins.

Their spotlight and Grammy success is a bright light after their disappearance from the country music scene in 2003 after lead singer, Natalie Maines, criticized the Iraq war and President Bush. Following Natalie's outburst, the group received death threats and boycotts from radio stations and previous fans.

Despite the Dixie Chicks Grammy Award success, many country music stations are still not playing the Dixie Chicks' records.

Jim Jacobs, owner of WTDR-FM, stated "Most country stations aren't playing the Chicks, and they aren't going to start now"

However, judging by the standing ovations the Dixie Chicks received on Grammy night, either the music world has forgive the Dixie Chicks political stance or tempered their own opinions on the current state of the war in Iraq.

Natalie Maines briefly commented during one of the Dixie Chicks' acceptance speeches with an apology, "A lot of people just turned their TVs off right now. I'm very sorry for that."

Bandmate Emily Robison added, "We wouldn't have done this album without everything we went through, so we have no regrets."

Whatever their views, it's apparent that the Dixie Chicks have certainly won fans and the music industry's heart with their Taking the Long Way album and their song of the year, Not Ready to Make Nice. With five Grammy Awards under their musical belt, it will be interesting to see what this feisty trio will aspire to next.

More information about the Dixie Chicks may be obtained at www.dixiechicks.com

More information on the 2007 Grammy Awards may be obtained at www.grammy.com