All About the Dixie Chicks
by Ace Collins

Publisher:  St. Martin's Press, LLC
ISBN:  0312247052

"All About The Dixie Chicks" is an appropriate title for this book. Not only will you learn about the present day "Chicks," but you'll get a great background of the two original members who are no longer with the group.

Martie and Emily started performing with a bluegrass band in 1987, and continued playing with them for two years, before realizing they had gone as far as they could with the group. They teamed up with Robin Lynn Macy and Laura Lynch to form the original "Dixie Chicks." The girls were far from the "Chicks" of today, with their Dale Evans styled clothing, and nearly pure bluegrass sound. Follow the path the girls took, including how and why Robin and Laura left, and how Natalie was chosen as a replacement.

A little over half of the books 182 pages deals with the pre-Natalie "Chicks," covering their many years of struggling to be noticed by Nashville, their huge success in the Dallas area, up to the departure of Robin and Laura from the group.

The remaining pages tell about Natalie's induction into the band, and how the sound and look of the band changed drastically when she came into the group. All the years of struggle would soon be a thing of the past as Natalie became the key to bringing the "Dixie Chicks" to the next level, which would lead to their recording contract with Sony Nashville, and the record-breaking events that would soon follow.

Reading this book takes you along for the wild ride with Martie, Emily, Robin, Laura and Natalie. You'll feel like you are right along side them as they talk about the shows, the studio, the interviews, and life on the road.

Whether you have loved the "Chicks" since their days of singing Bluegrass in Texas, or you are a new believer in "Chick Power," you will find this book hard to put down.

Ace Collins is a widely known country music journalist. He followed the Chicks during their rise to superstardom for the past eight years. His books inclue "The Country Music Book of Lists," "Lorrie Morgan," "Pam Tillis: Out of Her Father's Shadow," and "The Tanya Tucker Story. All these books were published by St. Martin's Press. He currently lives in Hillsboro, Texas.

Shelly Lahman, your Guide for Country Music