Apparently, nobody in country music learned or probably forgot what happened to the Dixie Chicks. More than likely the Millennials now running the show don’t even know who the Dixie Chicks are let a lone what happened to them.
During the runup to the Iraq invasion, singer Natalie Maines said she was ashamed of former President George Bush and criticized the planned invasion. The result of their actions – in a country that at the time was very pro-invasion – led to them being blacklisted. The group did release an album until 2020 and dropped the name “Dixie” and just go by “Chicks.” However, they have still not recovered from their fall from grace.
That brings us to Kelsea Ballerini, who at the beginning of the CMT Music Awards, performed a song to remember those lost at the hands of a violent trans shooter. However, a few moments later Ballerini performed “If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too),” surrounded by “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alumni taking a stab at Tennessee’s law placing conditions on “adult cabaret performances.”The performance was used to show solidarity with the trans and country music community.
The country music performer also make sure everyone knew she was making a statement.
if you go down, i’m going down too ????️???? // thank you to these iconic queens and @manilaluzon @kennedyddoftx @janjanjan @TheOliviaLux and @CMT for celebrating love, self expression, and performance.
???? John Shearer @GettyImages pic.twitter.com/jZ3JTVI3ny
— Kelsea Ballerini (@KelseaBallerini) April 3, 2023
Ballerini, a Tennessee native, also used her platform to condemn gun violence.
“On March 27, 2023, three nine-year-olds Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney, and Hallie Scruggs along with Dr. Katherine Koonce, Cynthia Peak, Mike Hill walked into the Covenant school and didn’t walk out,” she said.
She continued, “The community of sorrow over this and the 130 mass shootings in the US this year alone stretches from coast to coast. I wanted to personally stand up here and share this moment because on August 21, 2008 I watched Ryan McDonald, my 15-year-old classmate at Central High School lose his life to a gun in our cafeteria.”
Not once did she discuss the motive or circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Shania Twain also appears to be jumping on the woke band wagon demanding for “more equity and diversity in the country music industry.”
“When I wrote the phrase ‘Man I feel like a woman’ I honestly had no idea at the time it would become an undercurrent of a decades-long career,” she said, referring to one of her biggest hits. “It’s amazing how one statement can empower so many.”
The third richest country music star in the world said, “When I wrote the phrase ‘Man I feel like a woman’ I honestly had no idea at the time it would become an undercurrent of a decades-long career. It’s amazing how one statement can empower so many.”
Dolly Parton is the highest-paid country music star, followed by Garth Brooks, then Twain, and fourth is Toby Keith.
“I believe in an all-inclusive country music. We’re family,” Twain said. “This is a genre of music with a rich history that raised and nurtured my own songwriting and performance and recording career from childhood. Currently, the industry standard does a real disservice to this.”
“I will continue to do my best as a trailblazer,” Twain said. “Together, let’s ensure all our fellow artists get equal play regardless of gender, age or race.”
Weird how no “conservative, Christian” country music stars have disowned this https://t.co/0IM0ogt1Ye
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 3, 2023
