The Chicks to sing National Anthem at DNC

CNN — The Chicks will perform the National Anthem on Thursday night at the Democratic National Convention, multiple sources told CNN. In 2003, before the invasion of Iraq, the band’s lead singer Natalie Maines said at a concert that the group, which got its start in Dallas, did not endorse the war and were “ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas.” Their remarks about then-President George W. Bush triggered boycotts and backlash from fans, resulting in country stations across the country pulling the group’s music from the radio. At the time, in March 2003, CNN reported that “station managers said their decisions were prompted by calls from irate listeners who thought criticism of the president was unpatriotic.” This will not be the first convention appearance for The Chicks, who also performed at the virtual 2020 DNC during the pandemic. “But it’s burning itself down without my help.” In 2022, Morris got into a high-profile public spat with conservative country star Jason Aldean over gender-affirming healthcare. When the former president took the stage at the RNC, he hailed Aldean as the “biggest star in country music.” Country-rock star Kid Rock performed at the RNC, bringing chants of “fight, fight” and “Trump, Trump” into a mashup of his songs “Cowboy” and “American Bad A—,” which he sang just before Trump took the stage for his speech.