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NEW YORK, May 12, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Three years later, the Dixie Chicks stand by their 2003 criticism of President Bush that sparked boycotts, death threats and made them country music pariahs.
In an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes," the Texas trio described the fallout after singer Natalie Maines said before a London audience they were ashamed to share a home state with the U.S. president.
Amid a flood of ensuing hate mail was a letter warning Maines "would be shot dead" during a Dallas concert. The letter was so specific, the FBI and Texas Rangers were brought in to protect the trio.
"We flew in on a jet ... and we went straight from the police cars to the stage and straight from the stage back to the police cars and back to the plane," Maines recalls. "So, you know, it was all surreal. But at that stage everything was surreal."
The women tell "60 Minutes" they will not apologize to fans or "make nice" with radio stations still boycotting their music.
"We don't go, 'OK, our fans are in the red states, so I'm going play a red, white and blue guitar and put on my I Love Bush T-shirt,'" Maines says. "We're not like that because we're not politicians. We're musicians."
The Dixie Chicks interview is scheduled to air Sunday.
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2006 by United Press International
