DIXIE CHICKS STILL NOT MAKING NICE WITH COUNTRY RADIO Gail Mitchell – Billboard After the Dixie Chicks swept the Grammy Awards with five trophies, the group's tenuous relationship with country radio moved back into the spotlight.
In addition to record, song and album of the year, the Dixie Chicks picked up awards for best country performance by a duo or group as well as best country album.
Dixie Chicks member Natalie Maines acknowledged that some Grammy voters may have been attracted to the political back story surrounding the album "Taking the Long Way," which addressed the fallout from her 2003 comments about George W. Bush.
"It's hard to put into words, but I'm definitely aware we were up against a lot of great music," she said backstage at the Grammys. "I love our record and think it's the best one we made. I definitely think people had inspiration and motivation behind voting us to win five of five. It's unbelievable, and I think people were using their voices."
The consensus from an informal poll of major- and medium-market country radio programmers holds that the trio's winning album, "Taking the Long Way," and single, "Not Ready to Make Nice," were strong recordings that deserved recognition.
Beyond that, however, the sentiment turns prickly.
NEGATIVE FACTOR
"Since the Grammy Awards, this station has received only about 15 total Dixie Chicks e-mails, mostly inquisitive," WKLB Boston program director Mike Brophey said. "We were seeing 50 percent negatives on their music when 20 percent negatives are enough for us not to play any song. The Chicks' music is great, and their marketing is top-notch. But we wish they liked country radio and country fans more than we've seen written in the trades."
Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines acknowledged the disconnect when the group accepted the best country album award, noting, "A lot of people just turned their TVs off right now."
The chasm stems from Maines' disapproving comments about President Bush at a 2003 concert in England. The ensuing backlash included radio bans, CD burnings, death threats and a career slump, all documented in the 2006 documentary "Shut Up and Sing." "Taking the Long Way" and "Not Ready to Make Nice" were shunned by country radio.
Part of the blame, several program directors contend, goes to the Chicks because they have distanced themselves from the country format.
Program director Gregg Swedberg, whose KEEY Minneapolis supported the album, said the trio's awards were deserved. He calls "Long Way" a "great country record whether that's what they want to call it or not. We supported the Chicks every step of the way on this, so it's not like we didn't take a shot.
"Having said that, I just don't see what the point is in asking (whether the wins will change the way country looks at the Chicks). The Chicks have repeatedly stated they do not want to be played by country radio. Even stations that have supported the band have been snubbed by them in order to further their marketing strategy that nobody supports them."
COUNTRY BORDERS
Regarding the Grammys' relevance in the country sector in the wake of the Chicks' wins, comments became more pointed.
"Only with the Grammys can an artist see a 70 percent decline in CD sales, canceled concerts and yet still clean up," said Steve Pleshe, program director of KSKS Fresno, Calif. "It was as political as Sony BMG winning all the (Country Music Assn. awards). ... The Chicks' album is pretty phenomenal. But that still doesn't excuse them from ignoring the stations that stood behind them."
Citing such past country Grammy winners as Lyle Lovett and Allison Krauss, program director Coyote Calhoun of WAMZ Louisville, Ky., said, "C'mon, this is the least important of all awards shows as far as country is concerned. (Judging) by some of the shocking winners in the past, this clearly shows a whole lot of the people voting in the Grammys know nothing about country."
Addressing a similar query backstage after the awards telecast, Recording Academy president Neil Portnow said the organization's 11,000 voting members "are very savvy and open-minded, with a broad approach to what's happening musically in any given year. The Dixie Chicks' music and commentary resonated with our membership as it did with the entire nation." |