When the Chicks sing the national anthem tonight at the Democratic National Committee, they’ll bring their complicated history with them.
August 23, 2024 2024-08-23 6:56When the Chicks sing the national anthem tonight at the Democratic National Committee, they’ll bring their complicated history with them.
When the Chicks sing the national anthem tonight at the Democratic National Committee, they’ll bring their complicated history with them.
Introduction: When the Chicks
The six, formerly known as The Dixie Six,
will perform “The Star-Spangled Banner”
at the Democratic National Convention Thursday night.
This performance and the presence of the team marks
a new chapter in the long and complex political history of the Six.
The Six were once among the biggest names in
country music, with 1998’s “Wide Open Space”
and 1999’s “Fly” being the group’s seminal albums,
each selling more than 10 million copies and achieving
coveted diamond status. , awarded by the
Recording Industry Association. America.
Then in 2003, during the US war in Iraq, singer
Natalie Maines told a crowd in London
Natalie Maines told a crowd in London that the band
was against the war and then-President George W. Bush.
“We don’t need this war, this violence,”
Maines said at the Six concert, adding, “We’re
ashamed that the president of the United States is from Texas.”
This moment sparked a backlash against The Chicks
in the United States, and radio stations topped the
charts in many countries where the group once
dominated the charts. Although Means apologized
(he took them back years later), the group is largely
alienated from the country music industry, with their collective wartime sentiment focused on songs that express militancy (Toby Keith’s “Red, White, and Blue.” Suggestions). [Angry American]) and calls to action (Have You Forgotten? by Daryl Worley), September 11, 2001. (Alan Jackson “Where Were You [When the World Stopped]”).
The group is releasing a comeback album, “Gaslighter,” and will perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the 2020 Democratic National Convention, although plans for a major tour were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Four years later, the Six performed the national anthem again, this time in front of a full house at Chicago’s United Center. And again, her act carries significant cultural weight: In recent weeks, conservative influencers on TikTok have joined “Not Ready to Make Nice” in their opposition to Kamala Harris’ candidacy.
While “Not Ready to Make Nice” is not expected to perform, the Cubs will relive their history Thursday night.
