The Dixie Chicks are an American country music band that was formed in 1989. The band consists of sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Robison, and lead singer Natalie Maines. The group rose to fame with their multiplatinum-selling album, Fly (2002), which featured the hit single Not Ready to Make Nice.
On March 10th, 2003, during the height of the Iraq War, Maines made a comment at a concert in London critical of then-U.S. President George W. Bush. This caused a significant backlash against the band, particularly in the United States where they were accused of being unpatriotic. As a result, the group took heat from critics and some fans, and their music was pulled from radio stations across the country.
In order to distance themselves from this controversy, as well as appeal to a wider audience, the group dropped the word Dixie from their name and simply became known as The Chicks. This change was first reflected on their 2006 album Taking the Long Way which won 5 Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year.