This page is for stories by the Chicks' original fans, and how they were captivated by the music and artistry before Sony catapulted them into the national limelight. If you saw the Dixie Chicks before I Can Love You Better became a surprise hit, please send me your story! I won't reprint any personal information without permission, so let me know how you would like to be credited -- anonymously, or by name, city, and/or email or URL.

Send those stories to robertb@dixie-chicks.com, and relive the history of the Dixie Chicks!

Yes I am an original fan. The first time I heard them was on the day of day of their album release party for Thank Heavens. I heard a song on KERA and then a blurb about the party which was held at Uncle Calvin's. My wife and I went up there and I was blown away! I was addicted, it was a great sound, and unique. We went to nearly every gig they had in the area up until Robin left.

One day (in Summer 1991), a friend of mine from Addison airport commented that he had hired them to play at some kind of fund raising party for an Addison city councilman. Being a basically frustrated bluegrass guitar player, I couldn't resist. I called Robin and asked her if I could play a couple of songs with them at the party. At first I think she didn't know what to say. She said something like, "what kind of songs?" kind of tentatively. I named Blackberry Blossum and Begger Man, both of which are bluegrass standards, and she instantly was enthused and was very receptive. I didn't tell my wife about it but I practiced those songs daily at as fast a rhythm as I could, knowing that Martie would kill me with her fiddle. It was pretty cool.

Before the party got started, the Chicks pulled up and went into a room to tune up. I went in there and we practiced each song one time. Robin was so nice and supportive. After they started playing, I was out in the audience with my wife and Robin said "Now we have a guest musician that most of you know, that is going to play a couple of songs with us." I knew a lot of people there and when I got up and walked to the stage the surprise in the audience was great. A lot of them didn't even know I played guitar, much less being able to play lead on fiddle tunes. It came off great, I was even able to keep up.

My wife was astounded and I at least had the presence of mind to have my camera hidden nearby and had her take some pictures of the event. Unfortunately, no tape recorder. I have an autographed picture of me playing with them and Robin signed it saying something like "One man band... a Dixie Rooster with the Dixie Chicks. " I felt like it was my 15 minutes of fame.

Personally, I can't stand them now. They may be a slick band with all the gnashville (the G is silent in that word) glitter but they are just another band among many. I saw them on the Tonight show and Emily and Martie are themselves just side characters.

I read an interview somewhere where Natalie made some kind of remark, like, "I always thought Emily and Martie were the true talent in the group." The truth is, Robin was always the only stage presence the band ever had. Even Laura, who has a great voice, just could not produce the "stage personality" of Robin.

I saw them once after Robin left in Grapevine. I was near the stage as they took a break and a fan ran up to Laura and asked "Where is Robin?" Laura looked at her and said "Oh, she decided to take up teaching."

My wife and I got to know Robin pretty well. After she was kicked out of the band, we used to go see her at La Suprema Mexican Food resturant in Las Colinas. She played there with a guy named Gilcrest, who was/is? a great guitar player, one night a week.

I hope nothing but the best for her and hope to hear of her again in the music arena.

Jack is going to make a scan of those pictures from his jam session with the Dixie Chicks -- look for them on the Pictures page some day soon!

-rb

Summer 1991 at Fair Park, Dallas, Texas
story added 9/23/1998

Robert,

I just cast my vote for "When did you first hear of the Chicks?", and although I cast my vote for the Prairie Home Companion appearance, I actually saw them before that.

Summer of '91, I had an internship in Dallas (was going to school in Virginia at the time), and went to the Cotton Bowl for a 4th of July concert/festival. The headliners inside the Cotton Bowl that evening were Cheap Trick and Styx, but outside there were a number of smaller stages.

I remember that Joe Walsh played on one, but I was most enthralled by a group I had never heard before. These four beautiful women who called themselves the Dixie Chicks! As I recall, there couldn't have been more than several dozen people who stuck around for the whole show, but I certainly was one of them.

After the concert, I found "Thank Heavens for Dale Evans" in a local record store. It was my first and remains my only CD (out of over 300) that would fall in the "Country" category. I generally dislike country music and wouldn't know Clint Black or George Strait if I bumped into them in the street, but I love that Dixie Chicks album and play it quite regularly.

I did catch them on PHC that summer as well.

After that summer I lost touch with the group (this was before the internet), and never got a hold of additional albums.

It was only LAST WEEK that I was flipping through Entertainment Magazine and happened to see that they had been on the charts for 30 weeks! My wife heard me loudly exclaim "Oh My God", and ran into the room to see what was the matter. Boy was I surprised to see the Dixie Chicks in the limelight again.

So I'm wishing them well, and looking forward to somehow tracking down the additional 2 older CD's, and they may just change my mind about country music. We'll see.

Enjoyed the web page, by the way, and would love to see my vote moved to a new "4th of July, 1991 show at the Cotton Bowl" category.

-- Chris

Hey, come on, they played too many concerts to put a category for each one! They spent nearly every waking moment on the road, it seemed.

And good luck tracking down the other two CD's! They are rapidly disappearing and may no longer be available except used -- that's how I got mine. CDnow does have tapes for the first and third releases -- see my Discography page for more information. (Update: Miles of Music claims to have "several copies of all three"!)

-rb

Garland, TX (outside Dallas), February 1991
story added 6/16/1999

I believe that the first time my wife and I saw the Dixie Chicks was at the Garland Center For The Performing Arts in Garland, Texas at a bluegrass benefit for retarded children. Thank Heavens For Dale Evans was still fairly new and was getting a lot of play on KERA in Dallas, which was one of our favorite stations. I think the girls were still playing one or two nights a week at a pizza parlor down around Greenville Avenue at this time.

We bought a t-shirt and cassette, and each of the four girls autographed the cassette for us. They seemed amazed at the time that anyone would ask them for an autograph. We think this was in February of 1991. Emily was 17 and still in high school.

We saw them again about six months later at Poor David's Pub. We stopped in on a Saturday afternoon and listened to them do a sound-check in their shorts and wearing curlers in their hair, and then came back that evening to see the show. The sound-check was better as Dallas crowds are typically rude and on this night the drunks behind us were much louder than the girls played.

We also saw them twice at the Caravan of Dreams in Fort Worth. Once before, and once after Robin left. Glad they are having such success, they have earned it.

Randy and Denise Barnhouse

Sons of Hermann Hall, Dallas, TX, Christmas 1991
story added 6/16/1999

Robert,

Hello! First of all, thanks for all the Dixie Chick info. I was particularly fascinated reading the information which has transpired between yourself and the Chicks' lawyer.

I just wanted to share with you the time when I first heard the Dixie Chicks....

It was around Christmas-time in 1991. I was living with my brother in Dallas, and he and his wife were already Dixie Chicks fans. They invited me to go with them to see a Dixie Chicks show at, I believe, Sons of Hermann Hall. I saw no reason not to go. I had not heard any of their music, but my brother and sister-in-law said I would not be dissappointed.

I remember it was pretty crowded, and we had to squeeze in the back. It was hot, and I went to get us some beers. There, by the bar, was an attractive young woman sporting a Santa cap and talking with some folks. I gave her a smile as I went by, thinking myself to be Mr. Suave (I was 21-years-old at the time).

Through the opening act, I kept finding myself distracted by this young woman. I would look over to check on her from time to time, trying to get up some guts to go over and talk to her. I noticed the opening band was wearing down, and I glanced again over where the young woman had been standing. She was gone. "There you go.", I thought to myself. "You took too long."

After a brief intermission, it was time for the Dixie Chicks to come onstage. As the applause died down and the music started, I was able to crane my head above others in the standing-room-only crowd, and there she was playing fiddle onstage. You guessed it! - Martie. I tell you what, my heart melted during that show. I have to to say, despite finding myself smitten, that was one of the most entertaining musical performances to which I have been. They had the crowd going nuts, and just looking around, you could see all the fellas were taken.

Since then, I must admit, my appreciation for the band has waned. I have the first three albums (including a copy of "Little Ol' Cowgirl" autographed by Martie - thanks to my brother), but to me, the best part of the band was those few instances when I got to see them live in Dallas. They were all before Robin parted ways with the group and before they released the second album. Consequently, I would have to say that "Thank Heaven for Dale Evans" will always be my favorite Dixie Chicks album.

Regards,
Patrick Flannery
Columbus, OH

Christmas '91 was when they cut that 45rpm single, "Home on the Radar Range." Do you know whether they had it for sale at the concert, by any chance? And do you recall whether they played the songs from the single? They would have been "Christmas Swing" with Robin on lead and "The Flip Side" featuring Laura. Of course, 7 years is a long time back for remembering a song list!

-rb

Unfortunately, no, I can't recall if they played those songs, but I DO remember them playing a couple Christmas-oriented songs. To this day, I think they (the Dixie Chicks of old) could have made one hell of a Christmas album.

One of the songs I DO remember them playing in that first show I saw is "Bring It On Home To Me". That song still blows me away.

I remember thinking that they would never be the same when I got the "Chick Chat", explaining Robin's departure....anyway, I digress.

I recall a table laid out with Dixie Chick paraphanalia. There were "Thank Heaven for Dale Evans" CDs and casettes, the "Daughters of the Prairie" (or similarly named) t-shirts, and the Chick shirts for kids. I don't remember if "Home on the Radar Range" was there or not, but looking at your "Discography" page, the cover does look familiar.

The photo on the cover of "Thank Heaven" was one of the major reasons I did not even recognize Martie. In fact, I remember thinking "How old are these women?" <G>

It may be possible my brother got "Home on the Radar Range" EP. I will have to remember to ask him. He still lives in the DFW area.

It really shows how down-to-earth and approachable the Chicks are... -rb

It really does, and they really were! In fact, at that first show (when I described seeing Martie for the first time), I thought she worked for the hall the way she was dressed up!!! *G*

Anyway, thanks again for the site. It brings back a lot of good memories for me (not just of the Dixie Chicks, but they remind me of the short time I spent living in Dallas...it was fun.)

Take care,
Patrick

What a great story! You'll also want to see Patrick Flannery's other contributions to the site: he found a great 1992 article from Dallas Life Magazine that detailed the creation of my favorite Dixie Chicks release, Little Ol' Cowgirl, and the Spring 1994 issue of the Chick Chat newsletter with the wrapup of the Chicks' whirlwind tour of Europe.

- rb

Greenhill School, Dallas, TX, 1991
story added 6/16/1999

Hey Robert,

I stumbled across your site the other day, and while I don't have any stories like some of the people who have ran into the Chicks on your page.

I do remember some things from going to school with the Erwin sisters at Greenhill in Dallas. I graduated in 1991 with Emily and Martie (then called Martha) was a graduate of the class of 1988. Both were members of the Greenhill Singers choir and for a while both played in the Orchestra. Martie was the concert mistress and Emily played the standup bass.

Some of the other things I remember were a Blue Night Express concert when Emily was in about 7th or 8th Grade. Incidentially, I recall that there were two sets of siblings in the group, which was three-girls and a boy.

I also remember that we turned the Upper School Building into a farm and honky-tonk for our Senior prank day of 1991 and we had the original Dixie Chicks playing in the Elliott Center, a common area for students to gather. I periodically get updates from the school about them, but it's good to see people who remember them from the old days.

A. S.

Lower Greenville Ave, Dallas, TX, 1991-1992
story added 6/16/1999

Hi Robert,

I'm so thrilled by the success of the Dixie Chicks. Here's my part of their story.

Around 1991-1992 I was a theatrical lighting student at Texas Woman's University in Denton, TX. A friend of mine came to me one day and said she was talking to a woman that had a country/blue grass band and they were looking for a lighting designer. I believe the exact words were, "They're tired of looking like crap in these dinky bars around Dallas." My friend gave me a number to call. At the time, I hadn't done much music lighting, so was a little nervous about calling. To be honest, I'm not even really sure which of the ladies I was dealing with. This was before they were all blondes.

Anyway, to cut to the chase. I can honestly say I "lit" the Dixie Chicks in three bars on Lower Greenville Ave.

I live in Wisconsin now, and about a year ago I was driving to work, and wouldn't you know it, on my favorite country music station I heard "I Can Love You Better." I didn't know who the group was, but recognized the sound and called the station to see who that was. I almost screamed into the phone when they told me.

Thanks for letting me share my story.

T. T.

I first saw the Dixie Chicks at the 1992 July 4th celebration at the State Fair of Texas. They started playing on the Miller Lite stage, but no one wanted to get within 50 feet, so I drug my friends within 10 feet to sit down, and the rest of the crowd soon followed. Any red-blooded guy must admit that they find the Erwin sisters attractive, and I definitely liked Martie. I then went to see them perform a show at the Borders Books at Preston and Royal and got a picture with Martie. I liked "Lone Star Swing", which Martie wrote. I would've talked with her more, but I thought she was 30-years-old, not my own age. Damn! She seemed so mature. It wasn't until my friends who attended Greenhill showed me her picture in the yearbook that I believed it. I was shocked when I heard their name over the radio in DC, and I felt really happy for them. Way to go, girls!

You should have kept talking... she ended up married to a pharmeceutical sales rep! Nonetheless, according to People Magazine, red-blooded guys continue to send the Chicks pictures and marriage proposals.

Oddly enough, I was also at the Borders Books appearance -- it was probably in 1993, shortly before "Shouldn't A Told You That" was released. In addition to "Lone Star Swing," the girls played several tunes from the upcoming CD. It was a wonderfully intimate gathering, set up in a corner of the bookstore with minimal fanfare. The ladies -- especially Laura Lynch -- were especially relaxed before the small, appreciative crowd.

-rb

Memories from Dallas, 1992
story added 6/16/1999

Since the band reformed, I have since moved to Ohio from Big D and have craved a live performance of the girls since 1992. However, considering who -- and what -- they've become to get to where they are, I all of a sudden have lost my desire to hook up with them. I probably would be ID'ed at the door and asked where my daughter is.

My oldest niece, who's 15, is a huge Chicks fan, and she doesn't seem to mind the metamorphosis that Natalie brought with her when she and her legend/father/over the shoulder ghost holder came on board.

All I have to do is put on "Thunderheads" for her, then play a track -- any track -- from their latest submission to commercialism, and she wrinkles her nose, a sign, given by any teenage girl, that someone's got their shoes off and there's stinkfoot afoot.

I couldn't agree more.

Later

(Anonymous by request)

I think your message reflects an important point -- just because you're a teenager doesn't mean you're clueless. Like your niece, I don't think the Chicks' new fans will be turned off by their old music -- quite the contrary. I think that they'll be more likely to demand that the band return to its roots and quit drowning out the banjo with generic Nashville bg music.

-rb

Lucy was kind enough to send me some more info on Rockefeller's, a venue that was a frequent stop in the itineraries listed in the Chick Chat newsletters.

Rockefeller's is a small concert place in Houston that is now only open when it is rented, but then it was a common venue. I think that was right before their last album as a group came out. If you would like information from Rockefeller's, I don't know who owns it now, or the phone number, but it is on Washington st. I think. It is definitely in Houston's Heights.

I must say, the band had a lot more class at that point, the blonde element wasn't so strong and the cowgirl chic was.

Ft. Stockton, TX, 1993 or 1994
story added 1/8/1999

I saw the Dixie Chicks in the summer of 1993 or 1994 at a Festival in Ft. Stockton, Texas. They were really great and we loved them. The two sisters were in the band. The youngest told that she had just finished a commercial for McDonalds with one line, "Tastes good McDonalds." The older sister and the other singer both said they were teachers at Bryan Adams High School in Dallas. I have never heard about them being teachers since. Is this right, were they teachers?

My sources tell me that the Erwin sisters were never high school teachers. When would they have had time? They started playing bluegrass when they were still in high school themselves, and even now, they'll sneak a bluegrass number into their concert. It's this traditional sound -- hidden though it may be -- that makes the Dixie Chicks unique among the top country groups.

-rb

Poor David's Pub, Dallas, TX, Late 1993
story added 6/16/1999

Here's some interesting and random tidbits about Domestic Science Club:

Robin Macy is/has been a long-time Sara Hickman fan. Ms. Macy has played in various bluegrass Dallas bands during the late 80s, culminating in the formation of the Dixie Chicks (from what I understand, she was the one who named the band). She also used to teach Algebra at the St. Marks Private School for Boys (where I fist met her, although I don't think she'll remember me because I didn't have her as an instructor - but all the boys knew her because she was BY FAR the prettiest instructor there). She then taught at Hockaday School for Girls (St. Mark's sister school). If you read the song credits on the Dixie Chicks album Thank Heavens for Dale Evans (the only DC album I own) as well as the DSC releases, you might notice that many of the songs were penned by Lisa Brandenberg. Although I don't know for certain if this is the same person, there was an administrative assistant at St. Marks named Lisa Brandenberg, who I have seen at several Sara concerts with Ms. Macy. And, no, I did not go up and talk to them or anything because, at the time, I was seriously wierded out at seeing various scholastic authority figures at Sara Hickman concerts.

I remember a Sara concert at Poor David's in -gosh what was it?- late 93 or early 94 where Robin Macy sang a few songs as an opener and drug Patty Lege up on stage for spiritual support. My memory is fuzzy, but I think this was a post-DC period for Robin. I also seem to remember Peggy singing with her eyes closed alot.

Anyway, Sara did "Sweet Tooth" as an encore (which has been in the Sara song catalogue for years), and Robin jumped up on stage to sing back-up, with Peggy in tow. I don't think this was supposed to happen, because the experience had a very spontaneous and fun feeling to it. And after that, they closed their eyes and sung "Amazing Grace" in perfect harmony, causing goose bumps to break out all over me.

Later, I saw them playing together as Domestic Science Club.

I get the feeling that it was just a fun thing between friends that grew into something more. Their first CD was basically a Christmas present for friends and family, and was eventually expanded upon and released to the public. Also, according to legend, all of the original music for the first album was written on an all-girls camping trip. And one of the "Patty" songs off the first album was an old one that she learned when she was a teeanger from pressing a tape recorder up to her radio speaker, recording the song, and playing it over and over.

Because their second release, Three Women, is one of my favorite albums, ever, I refuse to beleive that they "broke up" but just decided to give the music business a rest until they decide to spontaneously and magically create another masterpiece.

And sometimes at night they put on masks, fly, and fight crime.

Take care!

-RT

And one more important note from M. Robert Turnage:

Of course you can use my story, my name, email address,and a message informing all of the ladies who come to your site that, yes indeed, I am single.

Alright, ladies, you heard the man!

-rb

I am a sound engineer, and have worked with many major acts, and lived and worked in Lubbock, Texas for 3 or 4 years between 1976 and 1980. One of the bands included the 'Joe Ely Band'. During those times a pedal steel player named LLOYD MAINES worked with the band. I believe him to be the father of the new singer in the 'Dixie Chicks'. I think he also produces and plays steel for the band in the studio. I think I saw him playing steel on one of their videos. How about that??

A Fan

Yes, Natalie Maines is Lloyd Maines' daughter. The weekly Austin Chronicle has an excellent background article on the Texas steel guitar legend in their 10/8/96 issue. Joe Ely is just one of the artists he's helped out over the years.

In addition, the elder Maines did play on 11 of the 12 cuts on "Wide Open Spaces," skipping only the final cut, "Give It Up Or Let Me Go." This is ironic, since the final cut was the one where the Chicks were allowed to let their road band play (instead of the talented but generic studio guys)... but Maines frequently joins the band on the road (and probably on their videos, although I haven't seen one yet).

-rb

Going-away party, date unknown
story added 6/16/1999

The last time I saw Robin was a a going away party for my neighbor who moved to Carolinas. I thought she had such a great voice and I personally think the group had a better sound with her. I loved going to hear them sing when they performed in Dallas back in the 'old days'.

Joe was also kind enough to send me a scan of an original copy of Thank Heavens for Dale Evans, which I will post on my Pictures page when I get a chance.

-rb

Camp Longhorn summer camp, Burnet, TX, 1994-1998
story added 6/16/1999

I didn't really know the Dixie Chicks. I went to summer camp for 3 years with Asia Abraham. She would tell us all about the exciting stories of her mom's journey to success. It was really cool hearing about it. I live in Chicago and well my camp was just outside of Austin. They had never played the Dixie Chicks here. But one day I saw an article on them in a magazine. I was amazed at how famous they had become. Even though Asia's mom is no longer in the band, I know that she was one of the many people who got the Dixie Chicks on their way.

Asia and I went to Camp Longhorn in Burnet for 3 yrs. We went together from 94, 95, and 96. I saw her in 97 and 98. She would come to camp on our last day to visit with everybody and say hi. Hopefully I will see her again this summer.

Jenny Miller

Austin City Limits, before 1995
story added 6/16/1999

Hi Robert...

The Chicks played at the Rockland Lobster Festival this year in Rockland, Maine and because my band was previously scheduled for a date on the other side of the State of Maine, I was not able to go see their show. I heard that it was, and I don't need to say this, tremendous. Some day I wish to catch one of their shows.

Now on to my short editorial:

I began to see the Dixie Chicks on Austin City Limits and TNN some years ago now. I believe that Austin City Limits was my first exposure to them but I can't really be sure of that

I thought that they were super. Their songs were honest, very musical, and appealing to a large and varied audience. They were having fun playing their music. I knew that some day they would be launched to real national status by their talent.

Today's current Chicks are a huge success. I have to note however, that the influences of the big record companies is so obvious. Yes, the venues that they perform in are larger, yes the record sales are greater but I can see the changes. Sometimes the changes are good. Sometimes they are bad.

I think that the honesty of their performances were lost with the new songs. I can only speculate that these are the songs that the rocord companies or management makes them play for the "commercial" marketing aspect of being a performer.

Well Robert, I can go on and on about big companies and the quest for the almighty dollar, but I think you know what I am talking about.

Lee Harvey
Aces & Eights
http://www.mint.net/~acesn8s/

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