Dixie Chicks sweep Grammys

LOS ANGELES – Country music outcasts The Dixie Chicks, who jeopardised their career by criticising US President George W Bush, unexpectedly walked off with all five Grammy Awards for which they were nominated on Sunday, including the coveted album of the year.

The victory for their work on the chart-topping album ‘Taking the Long Way’ marked a stunning validation for the female Texan trio almost four years after their dream run as the darlings of Nashville came to an abrupt end. Singer Natalie Maines told fans during a 2003 concert in London she was ashamed to come from the same state as Bush.As news of the off-the-cuff comment spread, the group was transformed into pariahs.Country radio stations stopped playing their songs, while album and ticket sales suffered.”I think people are using their freedom of speech tonight with all of these awards,” Maines said, as the group accepted the final award of the ceremony, album of the year.Bandmate Emily Robison said: “We wouldn’t have made this album without everything we went through, so we have no regrets.”Backstage, Robison’s sister, Martie Maguire, shied away from declaring vindication, saying it ran counter to artistic principles.The Dixie Chicks’ tally included best country album, as well as record of the year, song of the year and group country vocal performance for the appropriately wry single ‘Not Ready To Make Nice’.Their career Grammy haul stands at 13.The last time an act won the album, record and song categories was in 1993, when Eric Clapton led the field.The last country act to win album of the year was Glen Campbell in 1969 with ‘By the Time I Get to Phoenix’.”I think people are using their freedom of speech here tonight with all these awards.We get the message…I’m very humbled,” said singer Natalie Maines, accepting the coveted best album award.It was Maines who infamously said during a London gig in 2003: “We’re ashamed the president is from Texas.”Despite country music stations snubbing the group, ‘Taking the Long Way’ opened at number one in the charts when it came out last year, almost instantly selling over half a million copies.The Dixie Chicks’ success came at the expense of several other artists, notably hip-hop diva Mary J Blige, who had led the nominations with nods in eight categories and was tipped to win big.RED HOT Instead Blige had to content herself with best R and B song, album and performance for ‘Be Without You’ from her platinum-selling ‘The Breakthrough’, which has sold more than 2,7 million copies in the United States alone.”I want to use this success to build bridges, not to burn them,” Blige said as she accepted the award for best female R and B vocal performance.”For so many years I have been talked about negatively but this time I’m being talked about positively by so many people.”US blues rocker John Mayer scored two hits in the best male pop vocalist category and best pop vocal album for his ‘Continuum’, despite missing out in the best album category.The Red Hot Chili Peppers picked up four awards, including best rock song for the group’s ‘Dani California’ and best rock album for their ‘Stadium Arcadium’.The 1980s funk rock band were among a packed roll call of artists to perform live at the glittering gala, which The Police opened with a thumping reunion performance of ‘Roxanne’, more than 20 years after the trio split up.Other performers included Christina Aguilera, Beyonce and Gnarls Barkley, who picked up two awards, one for best alternative album.Two artists with five nominations each going into the telecast, James Blunt and Prince, went home empty-handed, as did Neil Young, hoping for the first Grammys of his career with three nominations.After two consecutive years of clean sweeps, Irish rock band U2 failed to turn their two nominations into Grammy gold.Instead US country singer Carrie Underwood, who found fame as the winner of television talent show ‘American Idol’, won the best new artist award and thanked the show for its role in her rise to stardom.Bob Dylan won the best solo rock vocal performance, beating Tom Petty and fellow sexagenarian Neil Young.GORE CHEERED Surprisingly, one of the biggest cheers of the evening was for former vice president Al Gore, who presented the best rock album award with Queen Latifah.”Wow.I can’t believe that.It’s unbelievable.I think they love you man, you hear that?” Queen Latifah said as the audience screamed for Gore, who thanked the musical community for its efforts in protecting the environment.Gore received a similarly rapturous reception at the MTV Music Video Awards last year and is up for an Oscar later this month for his global warming documentary ‘An Inconvenient Truth’.Considered the music world’s equivalent to the Oscars, the Grammys offer prizes in 108 categories covering over 20 genres, including pop, rock, gospel and rap.Nampa-AFPSinger Natalie Maines told fans during a 2003 concert in London she was ashamed to come from the same state as Bush.As news of the off-the-cuff comment spread, the group was transformed into pariahs.Country radio stations stopped playing their songs, while album and ticket sales suffered.”I think people are using their freedom of speech tonight with all of these awards,” Maines said, as the group accepted the final award of the ceremony, album of the year.Bandmate Emily Robison said: “We wouldn’t have made this album without everything we went through, so we have no regrets.”Backstage, Robison’s sister, Martie Maguire, shied away from declaring vindication, saying it ran counter to artistic principles.The Dixie Chicks’ tally included best country album, as well as record of the year, song of the year and group country vocal performance for the appropriately wry single ‘Not Ready To Make Nice’.Their career Grammy haul stands at 13.The last time an act won the album, record and song categories was in 1993, when Eric Clapton led the field.The last country act to win album of the year was Glen Campbell in 1969 with ‘By the Time I Get to Phoenix’.”I think people are using their freedom of speech here tonight with all these awards.We get the message…I’m very humbled,” said singer Natalie Maines, accepting the coveted best album award.It was Maines who infamously said during a London gig in 2003: “We’re ashamed the president is from Texas.”Despite country music stations snubbing the group, ‘Taking the Long Way’ opened at number one in the charts when it came out last year, almost instantly selling over half a million copies.The Dixie Chicks’ success came at the expense of several other artists, notably hip-hop diva Mary J Blige, who had led the nominations with nods in eight categories and was tipped to win big.RED HOT Instead Blige had to content herself with best R and B song, album and performance for ‘Be Without You’ from her platinum-selling ‘The Breakthrough’, which has sold more than 2,7 million copies in the United States alone.”I want to use this success to build bridges, not to burn them,” Blige said as she accepted the award for best female R and B vocal performance.”For so many years I have been talked about negatively but this time I’m being talked about positively by so many people.”US blues rocker John Mayer scored two hits in the best male pop vocalist category and best pop vocal album for his ‘Continuum’, despite missing out in the best album category.The Red Hot Chili Peppers picked up four awards, including best rock song for the group’s ‘Dani California’ and best rock album for their ‘Stadium Arcadium’.The 1980s funk rock band were among a packed roll call of artists to perform live at the glittering gala, which The Police opened with a thumping reunion performance of ‘Roxanne’, more than 20 years after the trio split up.Other performers included Christina Aguilera, Beyonce and Gnarls Barkley, who picked up two awards, one for best alternative album.Two artists with five nominations each going into the telecast, James Blunt and Prince, went home empty-handed, as did Neil Young, hoping for the first Grammys of his career with three nominations.After two consecutive years of clean sweeps, Irish rock band U2 f
ailed to turn their two nominations into Grammy gold.Instead US country singer Carrie Underwood, who found fame as the winner of television talent show ‘American Idol’, won the best new artist award and thanked the show for its role in her rise to stardom.Bob Dylan won the best solo rock vocal performance, beating Tom Petty and fellow sexagenarian Neil Young.GORE CHEERED Surprisingly, one of the biggest cheers of the evening was for former vice president Al Gore, who presented the best rock album award with Queen Latifah.”Wow.I can’t believe that.It’s unbelievable.I think they love you man, you hear that?” Queen Latifah said as the audience screamed for Gore, who thanked the musical community for its efforts in protecting the environment.Gore received a similarly rapturous reception at the MTV Music Video Awards last year and is up for an Oscar later this month for his global warming documentary ‘An Inconvenient Truth’.Considered the music world’s equivalent to the Oscars, the Grammys offer prizes in 108 categories covering over 20 genres, including pop, rock, gospel and rap.Nampa-AFP