WPLN News Archive; News Archive 7/31/06-9/8/06; Dixie Poli-Chicks (Craig Havighurst) 8 1 06

one country radio abandoned dixie chicks music after what they call the incident in two thousand and three some believe that stations would never give the band another chance clay hunnicutt who oversees programming for clear channel radio's two hundred country stations says that's not true he was anticipating promotions in interviews to support the new album taking the long way then he heard the first scene let's say you got an amazing artist you know you can't have a school to a lot of dutch record says the band's snubbed invitations from the few country radio stations that supported them to the controversy the dixie chicks told entertainment weekly they didn't want be associated anymore with a country music business and in time magazine fiddler martie maguire seem to take in the country music fans saying quote i'd rather have a smaller following of really cool people who get it again clay hunnicutt so it leaves the country radio guys even the ones that supported them asking the question of you know why we even stepping out on this land

of all they're going to do is continue turn their back on us and it calls dumb and you know say that country music is not hip and cool and i'm not part of a society that they want to be a part of logistics later some has become sort of a political litmus test chris willman who covers country music for entertainment weekly is author of the book rednecks and blue next the politics of country music he sees the dixie chicks ida and her new album as symbolic of a culture war in country music i think people feel that if you buy it you're going to vote for liberalism and that if you're a conservative you better not buy it because you know that's casting a vote for the other side won't says that while country music fans and artists have traditionally lean core conservative views country radio became even more so after nine eleven his book quotes country artists on both sides of the political divide including conservatives like hit artist craig morgan who sees cultural chauvinism and the dixie chicks recent remarks don't act like we're stupid ignorant backwoods redneck

but because were not this industry's not made up of that and the feds are not that way and i'm not going to be a part of anything that they're a part of and they were not humiliated disrespect me in my industry man fans anymore the blue notes and chris' woman's book are fans of americanos the one radio format in america that has had the dixie chicks and its top ten it's seventy one stations tend to be in blue states and big cities and its fans are more than twice as likely to be democrats republicans according to america's trade association not ready to make nice has been nominated for song of the year at this fall's americano musical sold to other critiques of american politics ryan the crowds don't get me started and james mcmurtry is skating we can't make it here was james mcmurtry lots of americans

what would be unfair to portray mcmurtry or craig borten as spokespersons for clearly define political or musical camps it is clear that for years many fans americana music have shared that mercury's believe that mainstream country radio has no interest in challenging its listeners on social or political issues they're selling fantasy and a salary and now the rural america that i've had something to do with it is fraught with drug use teenage pregnancy the whole fire thing that affects the inner city affects the country because they're both economically efficient but to not hear that natural one of the central ironies of the dixie chicks affair is when they were on top and nobody knew their politics they were musical you know fires their bluegrass based acoustic album home had the number one single country radio one incident drove them off the air chris willman says it reminded him of the outlaw era of country music when willie nelson and waylon jennings had a broad appeal to willie's fourth of july picnic and there'd be texas oil typhoons right next to the

long hair hippies and the dixie chicks sort of represented that again especially with the home album in a modest all blew apart when two thousand three happened the dixie chicks play nashville's gaillard entertainment center on october third and tickets are still available for a show that sold out in two thousand and three and hours perhaps the dixie chicks are getting smaller audience they asked for whether it's a cooler audience may depend on one's political point of view for national public radio and asked and as