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The All-Inclusive Dixie Chicks Page: Site Map
Dedicated to the full and complete history of Country's hottest band
Robin Lynn Macy Lead vocals, harmony, guitar |
On this site:
- Introduction To The Site
The "splash screen," including a very brief introduction to the history of the Dixie Chicks.
It features details of where to buy the independent releases
and even where to hear them played over the air and online!
This page also includes links (with descriptions) to the main sections of the site:
- Chick Chat Archive
Before they hit the big time -- and one time after -- the Dixie Chicks
sent a newsletter to their loyal fans. The
irregularly published Chick Chat was a facinating stream-of-conciousness
look into the lives of a group of
talented young ladies (and gentlemen) struggling with life on the road.
Several issues were provided by Jay Rury, whose violin shop
features Laura Lynch's stand-up bass on display.
Issues transcribed on this site:
- Update Notification
As the fans of the original Dixie Chicks make the connection between the old bluegrass-oriented group
and the "new" group with the No. 1 hits, I discover more and more information about
the group's origins and evolution. If you'd like to be informed of updates to this site, then please subscribe
to my announcement-only mailing list, hosted by
eGroups.com.
I'll be sending a short message once or twice a month detailing the latest additions.
The list is spam-free,
and I've set it up so that only I can view the subscription list. To subscribe online (and view past messages),
use this link, or send a blank email message
to originalchicks-subscribe@egroups.com.
(To unsubscribe, send a message to the
unsubscribe address)
When the site's volume picks up again, like it did when it was at
dixiechicks.com, I may be able to have contests!
If I do, here are the semi-official common-sense rules.
- Track-by-track Reviews
My thoughts on the individual songs, and my opinions on their "New Chicks" prospects.
Not all "Old Chicks" songs are created equal, but the pre-Sony
discography could be a great source of hits for the "New Chicks." What better way
to preserve these songs than to bring them back as Top 10 hits?
Discs detailed:
Sounds CENSORED!
"Cease And Desist," they said, and I had no choice but to comply.
The sound samples from Little Ol' Cowgirl and Thank Heavens
For Dale Evans have been removed from my site, even though they've inspired
several fans to search out and find the Dixie Chicks' original three indie CD releases.
More details:
- For details and links to media reports (including the Dallas Observer
feature article), visit the Cease
And Desist page.
- The original Cease And Desist Letter, and my Response
- An excellent rebuttal of the Observer article, from the Dixie Chicks fan discussion list,
is included: In Defense of the "New Chicks"
- Am I a bad boy? Check out the growing collection of sound samples
(in that evil ol' .mp3 format) on the Special Treats page!
- The Dixie Chicks Coloring Book
If you're frustrated by the few pictures I've found of Laura Lynch -- how is it that
she is always turned away or blocked by something? -- then you won't want to miss
this. The "Rockin' DC Ranch Coloring Book" shows the Chicks as they were in the "cowgirl" days,
complete with hats, horses, and all of those "cowgirl frills" that Natalie Maines
just can't stand. It's a wonderfully drawn glimpse into the Chicks'
pre-Shania
look.
- Robin Lynn Macy -- before and after the Dixie Chicks
A talented songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist, Robin Macy not only
helped found the Dixie Chicks but even gave them their name --
a fact never mentioned in the official Sony bio. Robin was also active in the Dallas
music scene both before and after her three years with the Cowgirl Band.
Danger in the Air,
featuring Robin Lynn Macy (center).
From the 1990 release, Airtight. |
- Liner Notes
Transcriptions of the liner note "thank yous" from all four Dixie Chicks releases,
with some explanations of who and what they're talking about.
- The Dixie Chicks' Greatest Hits
What if Sony got permission from Crystal Clear to
create a Greatest Hits collection encompassing all four of the Chicks' releases?
Maybe it would look like this, my dream collection of Chick Hits. This page also includes
song lists for all four albums, as well as my dream CD.
- Country Chart Links
From its release until its peak at #6, I tracked the success of the Dixie Chicks' first
national hit, "I Can Love You Better". In the process, I found dozens of radio stations,
national publications, and just plain folks who maintained "Top N" lists
(where N is a number between 5 and 250).
Now, I'm sharing this information with the world on my Charts page,
along with my comments on the more notable sites.
- Who did we let Emily marry?
There are those in the world -- including
several on Nici's Dixie Chicks discussion list -- who take things way too
seriously. This new page is not for them.
Texas singer/songwriter
Charlie Robison
married Emily Erwin in May 1999
in a private service on a ranch in West Texas. The fan discussion list was
so happy for the new couple, and we even put together a scrapbook for them.
But does the largely teenage crowd on the list know who Charlie is?
In the spirit of taking things completely out of context, I've put together
a little page that won't go over well with some of the more idealistic "New
Chicks" fans. You see, Charlie Robison writes songs about the grittier
side of the Texas experience. Anyone who expected Emily's husband to be another
Tim McGraw
might be a bit shaken up.
Learn a little bit about Emily's black sheep husband -- but for cryin' out
loud, don't take it so seriously!
- All-Inclusive Chicks In The News!
When the Dixie Chicks' management sent their lawyers
after my Old Chicks sounds, it sparked a wave of unexpected publicity... from notes in online
Nashville insider columns to a feature article in the local Dallas Observer
I've put together a page of online "press clippings," including links to the sources and to
the articles themselves, where they exist. As Nashville insider
Stacy Harris
pointed out, "there's no such thing as bad publicity!"
- Transcribed Articles
Not everthing written about the Dixie Chicks is available online. Here are some
articles I've manually transcribed for your review. Please note that these are generally
reproduced without permission and remain the property of the
respective copyright owners.
- People Magazine, September 28, 1998
What is the threshold of fame? Perhaps a feature article in People Magazine
would count? The well-written article gives several hints into the group's past as well as
its bright present -- I've transcribed the piece and added my own comments in the margins.
- Australia's Country Update, November 1998
In an interview of Emily Erwin in Australia's Country Update, Emily Erwin
discusses the past and the future of the band with an
openness that hasn't always made it into the North American press. Was Emily's Entertainment Weekly
quote (where she dismissed the old sound as not "pure" enough) taken
out of context? After you read her interview with Country Update, you can decide for yourself!
- Dallas Life Magazine, March 1992
A fellow long-time fan of the Dixie Chicks sent me this great article that details the Chicks' struggles to
reach the big time on an indie label as they entered the studio to record their second release,
Little Ol' Cowgirl. Six months later, the CD was released to critical acclaim and some airplay...
but Robin Lynn Macy had left the group. I'll add "notes in the margins" when I find time!
- The Dallas Morning News, September 1998
The local paper's review of the Chicks' homecoming concert at the 1998
State Fair Of Texas. I made it to this concert -- the last time I've seen
the Chicks in person -- but didn't make it to the end as my whole family was overcome by the heat.
They promised to play next year's fair at night... but as of July 1999, the Chicks were not on the Fair's list
of artists scheduled to play.
And if you find me feeling lonesome
Don't be ashamed to call my name
And if I seem a bit uneasy
You know that I've only got myself to blame
-- Dixie Chicks, "I've Only Got Myself To Blame", on the CD "Shouldn't A Told You That"
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