Dixie Chicks New Album, Taking The Long Way, Debuts At #1 On Billboard Top 200

Dixie Chicks New Album, Taking The Long Way, Debuts At #1 On Billboard Top 200

Dixie Chicks Become First Female Group Ever To Have Three Albums Debut In Top Slot

On Sales Dates For Dixie Chicks "Accidents & Accusations Tour" Announced

NEW YORK, May 31 /PRNewswire/ -- As Taking The Long Way debuts at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 best-selling albums chart this week, with first week's sales of 525,829, the Dixie Chicks have become the first female group in chart history to have three albums debut at #1, breaking the record the Chicks established in 2002 when the group's last studio album, Home, debuted at #1 and made them the first female group ever to have two albums debut at #1.

With the #1 debut of Taking The Long Way, the Dixie Chicks have also become the first female group in chart history to have three studio albums occupy the #1 slot on the Top 200.

Taking The Long Way has achieved one of the year's Top 5 first week's sales tallies and has the best first week's sales for any female act on the Top 200 in 2006.

In addition to its chart-topping success in America, Taking The Long Way has just debuted at #2 in Australia.

Taking The Long Way arrives in the midst of an incredible media blitz surrounding the Dixie Chicks, who were honored with a profile on CBS's "60 Minutes" and appeared on the cover of Time magazine an unprecedented two times in May. The group was featured in a five-part series of interviews, culminating with an SRO live concert at New York's Bryant Park on Friday, May 26, on ABC's "Good Morning America." The Dixie Chicks will sit down for an in-depth interview on "Larry King Live" tonight, Wednesday, May 31.

The popular success of Taking The Long Way is echoed in the praise the album is receiving from the press, which has been heralding the record in a flurry of four-star reviews. "Taking The Long Way embraces the depth and fury of classic rock while remaining true to the trio's Texas roots," raved Rolling Stone while USA Today called the album "Incredibly impressive."

Entertainment Weekly gave the new Dixie Chicks album an "A" grade saying, "Fightin' words and the music doesn't back down either, on an album that finds the Dixie Chicks bolder than ever. With (Natalie) Maines projecting more passionately than ever, Taking The Long Way remains intimate and personal."

"This is an album that has something for everyone," said The New York Times, "old fans who thought the Dixie Chicks were at their finest in their fancy-free early days as well as recent admirers who are eager to see the band push beyond the confines of country."

Rolling Stone closed its review of the album with a nod to the new Dixie Chicks single, "If you've dismissed the Chicks or need a new reason to love them, the epic, howling longing of 'Voice Inside My Head' will blow away your expectations."

The record-breaking chart-topping success of Taking The Long Way is the latest in a long line of achievements for the Dixie Chicks. With 39 RIAA gold, platinum and multi-platinum certifications to their credit, the Dixie Chicks are the only female group to hold two RIAA Diamond Awards (each for sales of more than 10 million units).

The Dixie Chicks have won eight Grammy Awards including:
Best Country Album (Wide Open Spaces, 1998; Fly, 1999; Home, 2002)

Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal ("There's Your Trouble," 1998; "Ready To Run," 1999; "Long Time Gone," 2002; "Top of the World," 2004)

Best Country Instrumental Performance ("Lil' Jack Slade," 2002) and
Best Recording Package (Home, 2002).

Taking The Long Way is produced by Rick Rubin (Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Run-DMC) and features fourteen new songs co-written by the Dixie Chicks.

"Everything felt more personal this time," says the Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines. "I go back to songs we've done in the past and there's just more maturity, depth, intelligence on these. They just feel more grown-up."

Having sold more than $100 million worth of concert tickets during their career, the Dixie Chicks are one of the most popular live acts in history. The Dixie Chicks will embark on the "Accidents & Accusations Tour" in support of Taking The Long Way beginning July 21 in Detroit, Michigan and ending November 11 in Tacoma, Washington (full itinerary follows). For additional tour information and links to purchase tickets for the "Accidents & Accusations" tour, please log on to: www.dixiechicks.com

DIXIE CHICKS ACCIDENTS & ACCUSATIONS TOUR
Date City Venue On sale
21-Jul Detroit, MI Joe Louis Arena Saturday, June 3
22-Jul Pittsburgh, PA Mellon Arena Saturday, June 3
23-Jul Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center Saturday, June 10
25-Jul Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center Saturday, June 3
28-Jul Albany, NY Pepsi Arena Saturday, June 3
29-Jul Boston, MA Banknorth Garden Saturday, June 3
1-Aug New York, NY Madison Square Garden Monday, June 5
4-Aug Washington, DC Verizon Center Saturday, June 3
13-Aug Milwaukee, WI Bradley Center Saturday, June 10
15-Aug Chicago, IL The United Center Saturday, June 3
18-Aug Minneapolis, MN Target Center Saturday, June 3
20-Aug Kansas City, MO Kemper Arena Saturday, June 10
22-Aug St. Louis, MO Savvis Center Saturday, June 10
23-Aug Indianapolis, IN Conseco Fieldhouse Saturday, June 10
24-Aug Des Moines, IA Wells Fargo Arena Saturday, June 3
26-Aug Fargo, ND Fargodome Saturday, June 3
3-Sep Phoenix, AZ Glendale Arena Saturday, June 3
6-Sep Fresno, CA SaveMart Center Saturday, June 10
8-Sep Sacramento, CA ARCO Arena Saturday, June 10
9-Sep Oakland, CA Oakland Arena Sunday, June 11
14-Sep Los Angeles, CA STAPLES Center Saturday, June 10
16-Sep Las Vegas, NV Mandalay Bay Saturday, June 10
23-Sep Omaha, NE Qwest Center Saturday, June 3
24-Sep Denver, CO Pepsi Center Saturday, June 10
26-Sep Oklahoma City, OK Ford Center Saturday, June 10
27-Sep Memphis, TN FedEx Forum Saturday, June 10
29-Sep Dallas, TX American Airlines Center Saturday, June 3
30-Sep Houston, TX Toyota Center Saturday, June 10
1-Oct Austin, TX Frank Erwin Center Saturday, June 10
3-Oct Nashville, TN Gaylord Entertainment
Ctr. Saturday, June 3
5-Oct Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum Saturday, June 3
6-Oct Jacksonville, FL Veterans Memorial Arena Saturday, June 10
7-Oct Ft. Lauderdale, FL BankAtlantic Center Saturday, June 3
17-Oct Atlanta, GA Philips Arena Saturday, June 3
20-Oct Knoxville, TN Thompson-Boling Arena Saturday, June 3
22-Oct Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum Saturday, June 10
27-Oct Ottawa, Ontario Scotiabank Place Saturday, June 3
28-Oct Toronto, Ontario Air Canada Centre Saturday, June 3
4-Nov Edmonton, Alberta Rexall Place Saturday, June 10
5-Nov Calgary, Alberta Saddledome Saturday, June 3
8-Nov Vancouver, BC GM Place Saturday, June 3
9-Nov Portland, OR Rose Garden Saturday, June 3
11-Nov Tacoma, WA Tacoma Dome Saturday, June 3

Source: Open Wide/Columbia Records

CONTACT: Cindi Berger, cindi.berger@pmkhbh.com, +1-212-582-1111, or Jen
Holiner, jennifer.holiner@pmkhbh.com, +1-212-582-1111, both of PMK; or Kathy
Best, of FrontPage Publicity, kathy@frontpagepublicity.com, +1-615-383-0412,
Claire Mercuri, of Columbia Records, claire.mercuri@sonybmg.com,
+1-212-833-5121

Web site: http://www.columbiarecords.com/
http://www.dixiechicks.com/

-------
Profile: intent