Dixie Chicks Sue Sony

The Dixie Chicks filed a $4.1 million lawsuit against Sony Music Entertainment on August 27th in response to a breach of contract complaint Sony filed against the highly successful country music trio last month.

The Chicks' suit alleges breach of their recording agreement, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and violation of the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act, claming that the company has withheld millions in royalties.

On July 17th, Sony released a statement that read: "We filed this complaint to confirm that the Dixie Chicks remain signed to an exclusive recording contract with Sony Music. We take great pride in the work we've done in establishing the Dixie Chicks as the most popular and biggest-selling female country group of all time. We have tremendous respect for all of the Dixie Chicks, as well as for their extraordinary music."

The band responded: "We were dumbfounded to hear that Sony recently publicly stated that they 'respect' us, after they have gone to such extremes not to pay us what they contractually owe us. Surely all businesses are not conducted in this manner. Frankly, what they are doing, not just to us but to other artists on the label, gives this industry a bad reputation. We got tired of having to beat down the doors and send letter upon letter every time Sony breached our contract. It threatened to take us away from doing what we love, making music."

The Chicks -- Natalie Maines Pasdar, Marti Siedel and Emily Robison -- say that their albums, 1998's Wide Open Places and 1999's Fly, have generated $175 million.

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Song Stories

“Is It True”

Brenda Lee | 1964

As the British Invasion reached its peak in 1964, Brenda Lee went from Nashville to London to record one of her hardest-rocking hits, her perky vocal backed by a stuttering, squalling guitar. That guitar was played by session musician Jimmy Page, yet to skyrocket to fame with first the Yardbirds and then Led Zeppelin. "She said to me, 'I've come here to make a record with the British sound,'" remembered producer Mickie Most. "She felt she wouldn't get the same sound in Nashville because they're only just catching up on the British beat group sound of about six months ago."

More Song Stories entries »

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